Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He never smoked. The reason for this was Song Yu, who could not stand the scent of cigarettes. She had told him once that she enjoyed his own clean scent. Since then, despite the masculine pull of the action, he had refrained. He recalled her telling him this, and, yet, he remembered how well she got along with Qi Chengzhi, who always had a cigarette in hand.
Resisting the urge to punch the door, Jian Yi battled the desire to take a few long pulls from a stick.
…
…
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and nervousness. Looking upwards, her eyes met Qi Chengzi’s, who had carried her into a stall. She could not breathe, his arms tight around her. She could not believe that he would dare do something like this in public.
“How do you feel about Jian Yi getting married?” he breathed into her ear. His voice was a low rumble; lascivious.
“I feel nothing,” Song Yu muttered reluctantly, slightly irritated by the question. Gazing at the sturdy arms flanking her, she gave his arm a harsh nip. He laughed. The husky snickers, combined with the languorous undulations of his Adam’s apple, made her weak.
…
…
Jian Yi was waiting outside the washroom. His fists were clenched tightly, leaving bright red marks where the nail bit into the skin.
A middle-aged woman tested the handle in a vain attempt to get in. She tried again, this time shoving the door inwards, but still she could not get it to swing open.
“What’s wrong with this thing?” she mumbled to herself, before turning towards Jian Yi. “Excuse me, do you know what’s wrong with the door?”
Tightly clenching his fists again, Jian Yi took a sharp, exasperated breath. Glaring at her, he snapped, “I don’t know. Probably someone locked it from the inside.”
‘Could he be mentally disabled?’ she thought, as she stared at Jian Yi, who was still glaring at her.
A few moments passed before she decided to get the waiter. The waiter informed her that, as the door was locked from the inside, there was little he could do, since it would not only be locked but latched too.
“What do you plan to do? There are so many people in this restaurant. They’ll need to go to the washroom. You can’t possibly ask us to hold it in, right?” barked the middle-aged woman in displeasure.
“Even if we hire a locksmith now, it will take some time. How about I bring you to the staff washroom?” The waiter suggested.
Contented with the solution, the woman left with the waiter.
It was not long before the washroom door clicked open. Jian Yi shoved himself off the wall, clenching his fists impossibly tighter.
The door inched open, revealing a sheepish Song Yu. From the entrance, she peered left and right. To make matters worse, she was emerging from the ladies room in the arms of Qi Chengzhi. It would be obvious to anyone what they had just been doing.
He placed her down, and they both straightened out their clothes, though it would not hide what they had done. Nonetheless, it did not stop Song Yu from running a wet comb through her hair.
The tenderness adorning her face was unmistakable. Song Yu’s wide watery eyes were so alluring that Qi Chengzhi could not stop himself from brushing a few kisses at their corners.
It was then that Song Yu spotted a pair of leather shoes. She froze and slowly raised her head to meet Jian Yi’s reddened eyes.
Luckily, there was no one in the hallway, save Jian Yi.
“What is it?” demanded Qi Chengzhi, totally unconcerned. When Song Yu did not react, he impatiently pushed the door wide open.
When he saw Jian Yi, he pouted mockingly then scoffed silently, his eyes filled with contempt.
Qi Chengzhi placed his hands on Song Yu’s shoulders and steered her out of the washroom. He squeezed her shoulders and said in a lowered voice, “You head back first.”
Daring not to meet his eye, she kept her head low, not out of guilt but embarrassment.
She obeyed Qi Chengzhi and left without turning back.
When Song Yu was out of sight, Qi Chengzhi took out a pack of cigarettes. His long slender fingers drew out a stick and lit it.
Jian Yi thought of Song Yu’s preference back in the day. Why was she not disgusted by Qi Chengzhi’s habit of smoking?
Suddenly, he had the urge to smoke.
Qi Chengzhi exhaled a stream of white smoke and cleared his throat gently. He had one hand in his pocket and he said indifferently, “Since you chose materialism, live with your own choices. Chengyue is not a fool. Just give up on Song Yu. Drop any further ideas of her. Stay away from her if you can’t give her anything; stop harassing her.”
Not waiting for an answer, Qi Chengzhi turned and walked off.
“What if I give up on that!” shouted Jian Yi, “What if I break up with Qi Chengyue?”
Qi Chengzhi paused for a slight moment. Jian Yi thought he was afraid. It seemed like the Young Master Cheng could also feel fear.
But then Qi Chengzhi merely tilted his head and scoffed before continuing on.
‘Breakup?’
He would be left with nothing. All his efforts would go to waste and he would be back at square one. If this was what he truly wanted, why did he go through all of that in the first place?
He would lose everything: power, wealth but, most importantly, Song Yu.
Breakup? Jian Yi would never do that.
Qi Chengzhi had seen right through him and that was why he hadn’t further entertained him. Jian Yi felt like he had punched a slab of mud, soft and yielding.
At the end of the hallway, Qi Chengzhi threw the cigarette down, crushing it.
…
…
Qi Chengyue and Song Yu were the only ones at the table, much to Song Yu’s dismay. She did not want to face Qi Chengyue alone. Despite her pangs of hunger, she did not have much of an appetite.
“My brother went for a blind date. It’s obvious that he won’t marry you, and yet you still cling to him. How thick can you be?!” Qi Chengyue had also, apparently, lost her appetite. She was frustrated. Clutching his phone, it had been a while since Jian Yi had left. At first, she could not help but worry that he had gone to search for Song Yu, but she consoled herself with the fact that her brother had gone after Song Yu first.
“You have known him all your life and yet you still don’t understand him? He even bought rings. Are you sure he’s not serious?” Song Yu did not care much for elucidation, but it did not mean that she would tolerate Qi Chengyue. “Well, if he isn’t serious then why haven’t I seen him purchase rings for the other girls? Plus, according to Wei Zhiqian, he hasn’t had a girlfriend before. If this doesn’t count as him being serious, then tell me what does, ” retorted Song Yu coldly.
Unable to refute the statement, Qi Chengyue fell silent.
She had not expected Song Yu to have already met Wei Zhiqian and his group of friends.
She was stunned. Even she, Qi Chengyue, had not been well acquainted with the members of the Great Eight Families. They had only met at banquets, where there was no real opportunity to be intimately acquainted.
They were a highly exclusive group, and only cared to maintain relations with a select few. The only way in was through contact with the selected.
Qi Chengyue was shocked. She had never expected her brother to treat Song Yu this seriously!
Had he already told her everything?
Qi Chengyue stayed solemn and silent for several moments before bursting out into peals of laughter, “Do you think that the Qi family will let you marry him? Why did you think my brother attended a blind date? It’s because aunt and uncle knew about you! That’s why they arranged a blind date for him. It is obvious that they won’t accept you. Stop dreaming!”
She halted her tirade, catching sight of her brother and Jian Yi returning.
Qi Chengyue did not ask about the phone when Jian Yi returned to his seat. Instead, she peeled a crab claw, dipped it in curry and held it up to his mouth, “Jian Yi, try it. It’s delicious, and you didn’t try much when you were peeling them for me.”
Jian Yi looked at her with a frown and pushed Qi Chengyue’s hand away, “I don’t feel like eating. You can have it.”
Qi Chengyue grew insistent, “Just one bite. Try it. It tastes really good.”
Having had enough of his sister’s pretense, Qi Chengzhi stood up. She made it impossible to eat. He pulled Song Yu up and said nonchalantly, “You guys carry on. We have to go.”
Upon their departure, Jian Yi shoved Qi Chengyue’s hand away. Curry splattered, leaving a trail of bright yellow spots on her bodice. It would be a chore to get rid of them.
Qi Chengyue was on the verge of exploding.
This was her favorite dress. Jian Yi not only dared to sully her dress but to also treat her this abominably?
How could he?! All she had been was nice to him!
She was seething with anger. She would have given him a lashing had they not been in public. She wanted to know what he truly desired.
Did he really want to get married?!
She paused, changing her mind. She bit her lip, as tears formed and her eyes grew damp.
“Jian Yi, what’s wrong? Why are you so irritable? I was just trying to be nice. Trying to be considerate. I was afraid that you might find me spoilt. It’s okay if you don’t want to eat. I– ”
Heartbroken, she could not continue. Her lips trembled, as tears trickled down her face.
Jian Yi looked at her, her long waves of dyed chestnut hair were immaculate. Not a single strand or root shone black.
She looked fragile and demure, with her tear-stained cheeks, and tresses that cascaded to her waist.
Jian Yi’s face grew taut, his lips compressing. After a while, he relaxed and gently wiped the tears away. “Stop crying! People may think that I’m bullying you.”
“Aren’t you bullying me? I’ve never cried because of a man. Only for you, only you…” Qi Chengyue mewled miserably. She pursed her lips, tears flowing endlessly.
Love was always peculiar. Jian Yi was from an average family. Even amongst the middle class, they were just normal. It just so happened that a lady from the Qi Family had fallen irrevocably in love with him.
Even if Qi Chengyue denied it, she could not completely ignore her instincts. She knew that Song Yu still had a place in his heart. Nonetheless, she could not bring herself to let go of him. She would rather sacrifice herself and marry him. She had, after all, failed in her endeavor to throw Song Yu out of their social circle.
“Okay, how I treated you just now was not right,” Jian Yi murmured, “but it’s because you’re always suspicious. I got angry out of frustration. Sorry, I’ll apologize to you. Don’t cry. Please?”
It took a while before Qi Chengyue allowed Jian Yi’s comfort to stem the flow of her tears. She looked down, gazing desolately at her ruined dress, “This is my favorite dress. I just bought it yesterday.”
“How about I send you home to freshen up, and then we can go and buy a new one?” Jian Yi offered cheerily.
His concern softened her. Abandoning her anger, she decided to follow him.
The argument had caused a loss of appetite, leading to the parties rising and preparing to leave. But before they could do so, a young waiter stopped them, “I’m sorry, but you haven’t paid the bill yet.”
Jian Yi was speechless.
‘How disgusting could Young Master Cheng be?’ he wondered.
…
…
As she sat in the car, Song Yu gazed downward at the band encircling her finger. She loved it, despite its simplicity. She never tired of gazing at it, though that might be more because of the person and what it represented rather than the band itself.
She smiled, lost in her thoughts. Her fingers caressed the ring, gently twisting and turning it, unable to look away.
When Qi Chengzhi caught her smiling, he extended his hand, enveloping hers with his. His hand was dry and warm; comforting.
He stroked the ring, gently grazing her knuckles as he did so. The traffic light flickered red, and Qi Chenzhi took the opportunity to face Song Yu. “You really like it that much?” His lips curved upwards into a small smile.
Song Yu merely hummed as she threaded her fingers through his slender ones, interlocking them into a tight knot.
He wanted to push her against the door and kiss her. He had wanted to do that the moment he heard her contented little hum.
He grasped her hand tightly, before bringing it upwards, kissing the ring.
“You barely ate this afternoon; aren’t you feeling hungry?” Qi Chengzhi asked. He had noticed that she had barely touched the chopsticks, let alone the food.
“I’m actually quite hungry,” Song Yu admitted, realizing how famished she truly was now that he had brought it up. She rubbed her right hand against her stomach, her left still in Qi Chenzhi’s firm grasp.
There were only the two of them.
Qi Chenzhi too was feeling rather peckish– a natural outcome after the vigorous exercise he had done.
“What do you feel like eating?” Qo Chengzhi glanced at her.
“I have a sudden craving for steamboat.” She felt soothed just by the thought of having a warm meal on this cold winter day.
Qi Chengzhi drove them to one of the most famous Chongqing steamboats in City B. Located in a mall, the restaurant was always crowded with people. It was advertised that all of the ingredients were imported directly from Chongqing, and that not even the level of spice added in had been altered to suit local taste, so as to preserve the authenticity of the soup. Nothing was modified to suit the palate of the denizens of City B.
Song Yu had heard of this famed purity, but had never had the chance to try it out .
The reason she had yet to go, despite the shop being affordable, was because they did not accept reservations. The only way to enter was to join a queue, and that meant she would have to wait for an hour– or, sometimes, even two– to get a seat.
Despite the late hour, there were people still waiting for tables. Some of the waiting customers were munching on tidbits provided by the restaurant, whilst others were engaged in a game of cards. Seeing the queue, Song Yu stifled her excitement and turned to Qi Chengzhi. “Let’s go somewhere else. There are so many people.”
Song Yu knew that queueing was out of the question, since Qi Chengzhi, who was used to preferential treatment, could not even muster up the patience to finish the meal at the French restaurant. To ask him to do so now, when he was on an empty stomach, was out of the question and unreasonable as there were plenty of steamboat eateries in City B.
As she was about to pull him away a waiter emerged from the restaurant and respectfully called out, “Young Master Cheng.”
“Is Yan Beicheng’s room available?” Qi Chengzhi asked.
“Yes, it is. Please follow me,”replied the waiter.
Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu’s hand and followed the waiter. He explained, “Yan Beicheng owns the shop. He reserves a room for himself. The rest of us tend to use it when he isn’t around.”
“He’s really interested in the entertainment industry,” commented Song Yu, remembering the Red Roof.
“He noticed that there weren’t any authentic Chongqing steamboat restaurants in City B, and so he started one. It was more of a whim than any real interest. But he still sent some people to conduct a survey at Chongqing, so that he’d be able to hire some of the best chefs. And when he is craving some steamboat, he tends to drag some of us along here as well.”
As he spoke, they entered Yan Beicheng’s private room. The interior was tastefully decorated in the traditional Chongqing style.
Qi Chengzhi ordered a three-flavored pot, some vegetables and their speciality dishes. Service was quick, and it did not take long for the pot to arrive.
When the soup base began to boil, Song Yu remembered Qi Chengyue’s earlier comments.
“Qi Chengyue told me that your parents are aware of us.”
The corners of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth curved upwards slightly as he extended his hands to clutch hers once more. His fingers sought out the band, rubbing the ring.
“What about us?” he asked, arching his eyebrows. He was excited.
His roguish gaze made her blush. She retracted her hand and placed it under the table, annoyed by his devil may care demeanor.
In the beginning, before they started dating, he had kissed her forcefully several times, and had kept insisting that there was something between them. Now, as he turned the ring round and round, his teasing felt familiar, even as their words had changed.
Qi Chengzhi let his hands fall on the table. He met her eyes and said, “I’ll introduce you to them the moment I find some time.” His tone was now serious.
Qi Chengzhi paused for a moment. “We will go to my grandfather’s. Grandmother had said that she would give me a Gold Buddha statue if I ever found a girlfriend.”
A twinge of nervousness rolled through her, leaving her unable to appreciate the joke.
Bringing her directly to the elders was a bold move, one that she had not expected.
Song Yu made no move to reject the outlandish statement. To her it was better to get it over and done with.
So, she nodded.
Pleased by her acquiescence, Qi Chengzhi softly made his demand. “Give me your hand.”
Song Yu studied him, unmoving. She wasn’t sure what his motives were.
“Let me hold your hand,” he pleaded, urging her by gently tapping his fingers.
Song Yu blushed. Why did he need to touch her? They were just holding hands; did he have to behave so fervidly, as if his fingers were grazing a different, more intimate part of her?
She never felt anxious about holding his hand, but something about the way he said it this time caused a flutter of desire to form in her chest.
Timidly, she placed her hands on the table. He reached for them, and began to stroke. Yearning gripped her.
“Grandfather and Grandmother Qi will be easier to deal with than my parents. If we manage to convince them, my parents will cease to be a problem,” he declared as he caressed her hand.
Once she understood his motive, the nervousness she felt vanished. Relief washed over her, born from the shelter found beneath his wings. All her problems, all her insecurities, all her worries vanished merely by being beside him.
…
…
Upon finishing the steamboat, Song Yu told him that she felt glutted. In response, they both descended the flights of stairs through the mall, completely ignoring the elevator. The walk to the car park helped ease the indigestion.
Song Yu had merely glanced at the wares as they had walked through the mall. She had no intention of making a purchase, but all the intention to spend as much time as she was able to with Qi Chengzhi.
As they had passed by a designer outlet, Qi Chengzhi had caught sight of Jian Yi handing his sister a knee-length, white cashmere coat.
The article of clothing had looked uncannily similar to a piece Song Yu owned.
Squinting, he had gripped Song Yu’s hand tightly.
“What is it?” Song Yu had asked curiously, sensing his distress.
“Nothing,” Qi Chengzhi had replied. Turning towards her and blocking her line of sight, he had simply continued gripping her hand and leading her away.
…
…
Qi Chengyue donned the white coat over her pink dress. It complemented her chestnut brown tresses and fair complexion well. She looked young and radiant, almost resembling the cover girl of a popular pop magazine.
“Do I look pretty?” Qi Chengyue gave a twirl before facing Jian Yi, who was perched on a sofa. Her broad smile revealed her two dimples.
Jian Yi watched, bewildered for a moment. The white coat was something he had picked up whilst lackadaisically going through the store.
Song Yu owned a similarly designed coat. The two coats were distinct close-up, but from afar they looked identical.
Jian Yi was immediately drawn to it. He had taken it off the rack and handed it to Qi Chongyue without a second thought.
For a split second he had seen Song Yu, but the emergence of the dimples caused the illusion to vanish.
Disappointed, he hesitantly replied, “Very nice.”
Qi Chengyue was delighted. She thought him to be bewildered by her beauty and decided to purchase the coat.
…
…
That night, Jian Yi went to Song Yu’s house.
He knew that she would not want to see him, but he just could not help it. He was unable to accept the moment of intimacy that he had witnessed.
Didn’t she like him?
He knew that she had liked him, so, how could she just turn to another without a second thought?
Filled with longing, he stood at her front door. He stayed there for a moment before mustering up the courage to knock.
He knocked until his knuckles were red, but no one answered.
He turned around, ready to leave, when he heard the door clicked open.
“Young man, are you looking for Song Yu?” Aunt Zhang asked.
“Is she not in?” Jian Yi asked.
“Don’t you know she moved to her boyfriend’s house?” Aunt Zhang replied.
After she uttered those words, Jian Yi’s expression shifted from one of civility to anger. Aunt Zhang, terrified by the alteration, made to shut the door.
“When did she move out?” demanded Jian Yi, closing in. He tried to control his anger by clenching his fists.
“Yesterday! She has a rather handsome boyfriend, all tall and elegant. And, according to my husband, the car he drives costs a few million dollars. You’re looking–” before Aunt Zhang could finish, Jian Yi stormed away, his eyes bulging.
Aunt Zhang patted her chest, feeling shocked. “Who was that man? He’s quite scary.”
Jian Yi dashed to his car. Feeling winded, he felt a deep pain in his chest. However, the agony that seeped deep into the marrow of his bones was not one caused by running.
This excruciating pain was ten times worse than anything that could be caused by that.
Opening the glove compartment, Jian Yi took out the pack of cigarettes he had bought from the convenience store.
Recalling the way Qi Chengzhi had appeared when he smoked, he had bought the pack, along with a lighter, without any further consideration.
He removed the plastic seal and took a stick. The foreignness of the action caused him to fumble as he tried to light the cigarette. After a few tries, the stick was lit.
His first drag made him choke. It was the wrong technique. His chest was aflame, the smoke caught in his throat choking him.
He coughed desperately, all while holding onto the cigarette. He buried his face into the arm that was clutching the steering wheel.
All the coughing brought tears into his eyes. The more he coughed, the more the tears gathered. Soon his sleeves were drenched, and he did not want to think about how many of those tears were truly caused by coughing.
…
…
When Song Yu arrived at the office the next morning, she was greeted by the sight of a group of architects gathering around Yan Yushu’s table. He was a new architect at the firm. They were all chatting, causing quite the scene.
“It’s so nice to be young. A time when romance isn’t dead. My husband doesn’t even care about these gestures anymore. I bet that he doesn’t even know what day it is. We have never once celebrated our wedding anniversary, let alone Valentine’s Day. But back in the day, when we were still dating, we even celebrated our monthsaries. Xiao Yang, just enjoy it all while you’re still young. You won’t be able to in the future.”
“What’s happening there?” Song Yu asked Ruan Danchen, who was located beside her table.
Every year, after the Spring Festival, the company would reorganize the staff seating. This year, Song Yu was seated beside Ruan Danchen.
“Yang Yunshu received a huge bouquet of roses this morning. From the looks of it, I’m guessing there are at least forty to fifty flowers. Aren’t roses especially expensive during Valentine’s Day? It probably costs more than a thousand dollars for such a big bouquet. That’s why everyone’s gathering around his desk. But not all of them are there to admire it; some are there out of spite,” Ruan Danchen said softly.
Song Yu laughed. She had forgotten that today was Valentine’s Day.
“How do you guys plan to spend Valentine’s Day?” Ruan Danchen asked. Knowing Qi Chengzhi, he would take this day seriously.
“Plan?” Song Yu was baffled. Putting aside her own forgetfulness, she was certain that Qi Chengzhi could not care for the day.
This morning, he had behaved in his regular cool, composed demeanor. Even if he had known it was Valentine’s, he had not betrayed it.
Furthermore, he had informed her as he was dropping her off, that tonight he had some important events to attend, therefore it would be Chang Lai who would be picking her up.
It definitely seemed like he had no plans for Valentine’s Day!
It was partly because of Qi Chengzhi’s disposition she had forgotten about Valentine’s.
“Isn’t this your first Valentine’s as a couple?!” Ruan Danchen was doubtful as to their commitment toward each other.
As they were talking, a delivery boy came in, holding an enormous bouquet of Blue Enchantress Hydrangeas. “Is there a Miss Song Yu here?” he called out over the din.
The office was already filled with women, attracted by the roses. To make matters worse, most of them were gossip mongers.
The delivery man’s voice immediately attracted all attention.
Song Yu felt a shiver running from her head to her toes. Ruan Danchen poked her and said softly, “Never thought that Qi Chengzhi was such a romantic!”
Song Yu was not expecting any flowers, and her bouquet was far bigger than that received by Yang Yunshu. Could this morning have all been an act?
Giving it some thought, she came to the conclusion that it fitted his manner of handling things.
She had signed the receipt and taken the flowers when Qi Zhengzhi’s call came in.
Song Yu placed the flowers on the table, unable to resist the smile that lit her face.
Although she had forgotten Valentine’s, her heart would still have filled with envy and hurt whenever she saw others receiving gifts from their significant others. Though she would never voice such things to Qi Chenzhi.
It took her by surprise; that such a reserved man could come up with such a romantic gesture.
She answered the call, her voice poignant and soft. “I received your flowers. They’re beautiful. I thought you had forgotten what day it is today.”
From the other side, the line was silent. And it remained silent for quite some time.
“Why did you accept it without checking who sent it?” demanded Qi Chengzhi bluntly.
Song Yu sat stunned, before she felt a slight tugging on her sleeve. Turning, she saw Ruan Danchen pull a card from the bouquet and hold it out to her.
‘This is to apologize for the Red Roof incident. I hope you will forgive me. If you do, please give me a call.’
It was signed off by Li Zhuoan. His handwriting was neat with a masculine edge to it. It was almost beautiful.
