Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!” Qi Zhongliang lost his temper and stood up. “GET OUT! You just had to look for your brother’s ex-fiancée! You’re not even afraid that people will gossip behind your back! We can’t control you anymore, you’ve gone mad with that love of yours! If you don’t want to have children, don’t! We’re not demanding it from you, now are we? Get out!”
Qi Chengzhi really did bring Song Yu and left without saying goodbye. He had earlier predicted that going there on that day would not end particularly well.
If it were not Yu Keyao, he would not have made such a drastic change to his initial plan.
His original intention was to take things slowly, first by persuading his grandparents so that they, in turn, would persuade his parents.
The plan had not changed, but the method of execution had become much harder to implement.
As Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu out the door, Song Yu could hear Qi Zhongliang’s anger when the door behind them had yet to close. “What would people say about our family if they saw this? That we prepared one woman for two sons at the same time? Why the hell is it so hard for the men in our family to find a woman! One is in love with another man’s wife, and the other is in love with his brother’s ex-fiancée!”
Song Yu felt deeply hurt upon hearing the first few lines of Qi Zhongliang’s rant. He said it as though she was a casual woman who went around being with any man.
She looked down in despair and wondered if Qi Zhongliang thought that she was a shameless woman.
Her hand was kneaded gently, and although she did not look up at him, she could hear his mellow voice resounding from the top of her head. “Don’t think so much.”
Song Yu then looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi’s handsome face, only to be interrupted by a scathing remark. “You heard my elder uncle’s words, didn’t you?”
They stopped walking and turned to see Qi Chengyue running over. When she saw that they stopped, she slowed her steps and strutted over with confidence. She had a smirk on her face and she looked at Song Yu with a sideways glance.
“My opinion isn’t just limited to me. Everyone’s thinking the same thing! I told you that from the beginning, but you accused me of targeting you on purpose and looking down on you. Now, even grandpa, grandma, uncle, and auntie have the same attitude toward you. What’s there for you to say? How despicable must you be to get together with the elder brother after being with the younger brother?”
Qi Chengyue felt a chill because her vision shifted inadvertently to Qi Chengzhi. All of a sudden, she froze and was unable to resist looking over at him.
At that point, she dared not even squeak. She felt her heart nearly stop beating under Qi Chengzhi’s frigid glare.
“Go and wait for me in the car.” Coldness turned to warmth when his gaze recoiled and was directed onto Song Yu. The mere sight of that left Qi Chengyue fuming, and her enmity for Song Yu only grew.
What did someone as lowly as Song Yu have that could invoke such feelings of love and protectiveness within Qi Chengzhi?
Qi Chengyue knew the extent of Qi Chengzhi’s temper. The world would turn upside down if there was ever a woman whom he could love so much.
If a loner like Qi Chengzhi, or even an ordinary man for that matter, could love his girlfriend so dearly, it would definitely attract the seething jealousy of many others.
Qi Chengyue could not help but think about Jian Yi—he never protected her like that before.
It was eye-opening to see Qi Chengzhi protecting someone with all his heart.
Song Yu nodded and did not object to his order.
At the end of the day, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengyue were related to each other. It was always going to be easier for Qi Chengzhi to handle things by himself. Moreover, there was no willingness on Song Yu’s part to deal with Qi Chengyue; after all, she regarded the latter was helplessly insane. The reason for Qi Chengyue’s inflated ego was a result of being spoilt all throughout her childhood years, but as egotistical as she may be, there had to be some kind of limit at the very least!
During the course of leaving the courtyard, Song Yu was still able to hear Qi Chengyue’s ear-piercing voice. “Why do you have to protect her so much? What’s there to her? You’re already hurt because I said a few things to her? Is she so precious to you that no one can say anything about her? If you don’t want to be criticized, you shouldn’t have done such a despicable thing! You shouldn’t be afraid of someone talking about it if you were the one who did such a thing!”
“Song Yu, if you have the guts, stay! Stand here and listen to everything I say! Confront me face-to-face and clear things up! You’re always hiding behind men and pretending to be weak! You’re the most disgusting woman I’ve ever met in my entire life! Getting together with the elder brother after being with the younger, it’s not surprising that someone like you would seduce someone’s man and be willing to become a mistress!”
Song Yu went directly to the car, sat down, and closed the door so she could no longer hear Qi Chengyue’s voice.
She did not care too much about what Qi Chengyue said. It did anger her, no doubt, but she would not take it to heart because those words came from a deluded woman.
If she remained outside, she did worry that she would bump into a neighbor who might recognize her.
It was much better inside the car because the windows were tinted.
Qi Chengyue scolded and cursed, but gradually lost her confidence because Qi Chengzhi was doing nothing to stop her—he lit up a cigarette and smoked calmly instead!
With the cigarette between the contours of his fingers, his movements were graceful as he puffed out clouds of smoke. His eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed to be enjoying himself a fair bit.
“Go on, keep shouting. Why did you stop?” Qi Chengzhi exhaled a breath of smoke and remarked sarcastically, “Is your throat dry? I can go back inside to get you a glass of water so you can continue shouting. Your shouts will attract people, and when they come out to see what’s going on, we’ll see who’s really dragging the Qi family’s dignity down the drain.”
Qi Chengyue was red with anger, but since Qi Chengzhi was completely unperturbed by her scolding, she felt herself losing control over the situation.
“Next time, think about Jian Yi if you ever feel the urge to curse at Song Yu. I think the position of Engineering Manager is not his ultimate goal, and neither is it yours,” Qi Chengzhi remarked leisurely and flicked off some ash from his cigarette. “If Qilin fires Jian Yi, no other company would want him. Then you’ll see if he’ll still want you. If that day comes, you’re no longer a goldmine to him. You’ll simply be dirt.”
“Deep down, you know why Jian Yi wanted to be with you. You just can’t bring yourself to accept it. I don’t care whether you love him to infinity and beyond, or you’re so arrogant that you can’t accept that you’re no better than someone else in his heart; after all, you’re going to marry him, aren’t you? You might as well think about whether you’d be able to have that bargaining chip anymore. And also, think about how worthless that bargaining chip is to me.”
Qi Chengyue’s eyes were wide open in disbelief. She never imagined that Qi Chengzhi would threaten her so blatantly!
After all, she was his cousin sister!
She knew early on that he was never a kind-hearted person, but she found it incredulous that he did not hold back against his own family!
“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll tell everyone about how Song Yu seduced Jian Yi? Not to mention Song Yu was your little brother’s ex-fiancée. With her status, they won’t let her into the Qi family, unless of course, she’s getting married to your little brother. Otherwise, the absurdity of a younger brother’s wife becoming the wife of his elder brother is something the family would not permit.” Qi Chengzhi’s threats had stuck her nerve, causing her lips to tremble as she spoke.
“No one in the family agrees to it, and if I told everyone that she tried to get together with Jian Yi, what do you think they’ll say? You heard what elder uncle told you earlier, Song Yu’s a casual woman. If I told them all this, her reputation of being whorish will forever stick with her!”
“Tell them then,” Qi Chengzhi replied indifferently. “Was it Song Yu who seduced Jian Yi or Jian Yi who lied to Song Yu? Whether you’re willing to accept it or not, deep down you know. Who do you think gave you those photographs? Who told you that Jian Yi was having a date with another woman? If you say something, you’ve got to have proof. And that proof? You don’t have it. I do. When the time comes, we’ll see if it’s Song Yu or Jian Yi who will not be allowed to enter the family. Or maybe, you’re at a point where you don’t care if something happens to yourself as long as you’re able to inflict that suffering on her. Perhaps you’ll be willing to put your wedding at stake just to prevent Song Yu from being a member of the Qi family. In that case, it’s a loss for both sides.”
Qi Chengzhi sneered, “I can simply disregard everyone’s opinion and just register my marriage with Song Yu. Can you do that? If you can sever your ties with the family just to marry Jian Yi, what’s going to happen to him? When’s the wedding? It’s coming soon, isn’t it? Next week?”
Qi Chengyue’s face morphed into all sorts of emotions, settling finally on shock as she took a half-step back and stared in terror at her elder cousin brother. He looked as though his patience was tested for the first time.
He had planned everything in detail!
“You’re holding against your own cousin sister?” Qi Chengyue turned hysterical because she was unable to control herself. “I’m your cousin sister, she’s nothing!”
“Hehe.” Qi Chengzhi chuckled, shook his head, and tossed the cigarette on the ground. He stamped on the barely smoked cigarette and crushed it. “If there’s anything you’d like to tell them, please go ahead. If there’s nothing else you wish to tell me, I’m leaving.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Song Yu everything?” Qi Chengyue asked as soon as Qi Chengzhi turned around.
By then, Qi Chengzhi no longer wasted his time explaining things. He snickered at her and proceeded to leave.
The sight of his long legs and lanky silhouette led Qi Chengyue to have a sudden realization: if Qi Chengzhi dared to mention all those things, he could not possibly have cared if she told anyone.
Even if Song Yu knew about it and believed it, she might not blame Qi Chengzhi.
He was confident of her feelings toward him.
Qi Chengyue had a face full of resentment. At first, her expression was merely that of discontent, but it had turned into one that was vengeful.
From time to time, Song Yu had swayed Jian Yi and aroused him, but even then, Qi Chengzhi would be willing to go against his cousin sister just because of Song Yu!
What else was Song Yu going to take away from Qi Chengyue?!
…
…
Song Yu caught a whiff of tobacco on Qi Chengzhi when he entered the car, but she did not ask what he and Qi Chengyue talked about.
Before she entered the car earlier, she heard Qi Chengyue’s shouts and surmised that a few barbs would probably have been traded between the two of them. It was pointless for her to listen to that exchange.
The only thing that replayed on Song Yu’s mind was of the old lady clutching her heart while saying ‘Oh dear’.
“Will Grandmother be alright? She looked pretty unwell just now.”
Qi Chengzhi started the car and glimpsed at her, saying, “Before she retired, Grandmother used to be part of a performing arts group that acts in stage plays.”
Song Yu, “…”
“No wonder you’ve inherited many of her good genes.” Song Yu could not help herself from teasing.
Qi Chengzhi, “…”
Once the car was on the move, Qi Chengzhi stretched over and held Song Yu’s hand. “Is there anything you’d like to eat for lunch?”
His palm was dry, but it gave her warmth when it covered her hands; when she was alone in the car earlier, her hands felt rather chilly.
Song Yu lowered her gaze and focused on his clean hands. The fairness of his skin only served to enhance the purity of his hands.
All of a sudden, she felt guilty because he risked a bashing at the Qi family home just for her sake.
Judging from his look, he did not seem to have the mood to eat out.
“Are you hungry? If you’re not, let’s go home. I’ll do some cooking for you.” She flipped her palm up and slid her fingers in between his so their fingers would be intertwined.
On that day, she simply wanted to treat him well and make him happy.
“In that case, we’ll head home. But I’d prefer it if I do you instead.” Qi Chengzhi glanced briefly at her and rubbed his thumb in the center of her palm.
Song Yu thought that she had gotten used to his unexpected displays of brazenness, but it surprised her that he was still able to tease her even though he was not in a very good mood.
Deciding against showing her annoyance, she blushed and leaned over to him. Her head was placed on his shoulders, and her arms wrapped tightly around his.
Qi Chengzhi tilted his head and looked at her. A glimmer of satisfaction flashed through his pupils.
…
…
Upon their return to Viewpark Residence, Qi Chengzhi’s mood was still no better than it was earlier. Things had not gone according to plan, but his unhappiness was because of what Qi Zhongliang said about Song Yu, and not because he was scolded by his family.
His father insulted her in front of the family.
The instant they entered the door, Aunt Yang knew immediately that something was not right.
Song Yu told Aunt Yang that it was alright and that she could take her rest.
Worried that Qi Chengzhi might have lost his appetite after what happened at his family home, she searched the internet for some recipes that made use of whatever ingredients that were present at home. She placed emphasis on dishes that were sour, spicy, and capable of whetting the appetite.
A single-use gloves protected her fingers as she squeezed lemon juice over some chicken and mixed them up. All of a sudden, her movements came to a halt and her hands trembled slightly—it was because of a warmth emanating from behind her, in addition to that fresh scent of his.
He did not come into full contact with her, but she could feel his shirt brushing against her thin clothes. It was enough to elicit a reaction from her.
Her belly retracted out of nervousness, and his actions of wanting to hug her yet hesitating to do so made her feel very uneasy.
She felt his hot breath on her temples and turned her head ever so slightly. Looking up, she saw his sturdy chin. It usually looked very serious because of his tenseness, but at that moment, there was a distinct gentleness along its contours.
Unable to restrain her emotions, she tiptoed and kissed his stubble-covered chin, tasting it ever so slightly with her tongue at the corner of her lips. It was prickly, but her tongue continued rubbing against his chin, and it felt worthwhile for her tongue to be nicked by his stubble.
“You seem very spontaneous today?” Qi Chengzhi’s fire was stroked by her actions. She licked him in exactly the same way a dog would like its owner.
“Consider it a reward for you.” Song Yu’s ears became hot. She did not dare to look him in the eye, so she gathered her gaze and concentrated on squeezing out the juice from the lemon. However, that simple task became much more difficult because she was unable to fully exert her energy.
“You’re satisfied with my behavior today?” His erotic voice traveled into her ear and he made a point to brush his lips against her ear as he spoke.
“Your words today, you mean to say I’m the only person you’d want to have a baby with?” In uttering those words, Song Yu could feel numbness in her head and hotness in her ears. She continued determinedly, “I…I’m happy. I wouldn’t want you having a baby with someone else either.”
Song Yu failed to spot how Qi Chengzhi paused blankly behind her. His face—always masked with self-control—slipped a rare emotional expression. His eyes increased in passion immediately, and his warm palm slid to her stomach, pressing her tightly against him.
“How about we make one now?” With his lips sticking against her earlobe, he could see her vellus hairs prominently against the red of her ears, and it looked as though her ear was covered in a velvety halo. His hand invaded her thin top and squeezed the softness beneath her clothes.
Song Yu was utterly speechless, but the back of her head was leaning against his shoulders. Earlier that day, she heard how he stated that he would be thirty-five that year, and in the spur of the moment, she wanted so dearly to give him a baby.
Her obedience made the fire within Qi Chengzhi surge forth. He bent his head sideways and kissed her lips while his hand infiltrated her pants.
His fingers made her feel a hollow ache that was hard to describe. He cornered her, kissed her, and when she—in her state of emotional abandon—felt the towering protrusion under his pants zipper, she too was flooding inside her pants.
Her quiet urging was like a sudden injection of medicine into Qi Chengzhi. He bent her body forward abruptly, and with her pants still hanging on her legs, he slid into her.
Eventually, Song Yu was so exhausted that he had to carry her to the sofa.
He was frighteningly violent that day, as if his energy reserves were infinite. With every thrust, he became harder and went in deeper. She felt a certain fullness that was indescribable. Begging him to stop would be futile. He flipped her and did her in different positions while telling her that he was about to come.
Recalling their earlier moment of madness, Song Yu was scared witless. She was shocked that she had the courage to do such a thing because Aunt Yang could have come out of the room at any time.
There was a newly installed mirror in front of her in the kitchen. Her body was bent in such an embarrassing position, and although her whole upper body was pressed against the counter, the mirror gave her a view of his thrusting movements as well as the pleasurable and satisfied expression on his face.
Out of breath, Song Yu was held in Qi Chengzhi’s embrace as he gave her a tender kiss on her lips and forehead. He grabbed her breasts through her shirt and kneaded it.
“Do you still have any energy?” He carried her up and placed her on his lap. The sight of her pinkish lips made him yearn to kiss her, which he did so a good few more times.
Song Yu thought about how she was supposed to make lunch for him, but they ended up doing it instead. She was truly exhausted.
She buried her head in his chest. She spoke with a hint of coquettishness as well as resentment. “I’m too exhausted to make lunch.”
“If you’re tired, does that mean I did you good?” Qi Chengzhi said half-smilingly as his hot palm massaged her waist.
“…” Shameless! Song Yu pinched him directly on the waist.
The flesh on his waist was firm, so her pinching had no effect.
Qi Chengzhi placed her down on the sofa and stood back up.
His shirt was wrinkled and he tucked them loosely into his pants. He left the zipper unzipped and only buttoned the button on the waistband. His belt was hanging down on the waist, and as a whole, he looked insanely laid-back.
Both his sturdy forearms were exposed with a few rolls of his sleeve, and he headed right toward the kitchen.
“Why’re you going to the kitchen?” Song Yu reclined lazily on the sofa and was so drained that she could not move. She turned around slowly and looked at Qi Chengzhi’s back.
“To cook lunch for you,” he said, needing no more than a couple of steps to enter the kitchen.
Song Yu thought she was hearing things. It was not until she heard the banging of pots and pans that she became curious to see how Qi Chengzhi looked like when he was cooking.
As much as she did not want to move a single step with her tired legs, she still went ahead and tidied up the clothes. She then stood up and dragged her sore feet over to the kitchen entrance, where she leaned against the doorframe and observed the tall Qi Chengzhi standing in the kitchen.
He did not wear an apron and merely rolled up his sleeves. He was standing straight and tall, and despite being in the midst of cooking, he looked incredibly sexy.
Song Yu’s eyes darted inadvertently to his muscular back. She knew the extent of handsomeness that lay beneath his shirt, and the thing she most wanted to do then was to rip it off.
