Song Yu did not expect the one who was singing to be Yan Beicheng. He sang ‘Fleet of Time’ in a truly unique way—some would say that his version was much more soulful than the original rendition.
“Those bygone years, we were caught in a rush, abandoned the hard-to-keep promises, and left them for others to honor…”
…
“Those bygone years, we saw so little of the world, only focused on the one you love…”
…
“That year together, we rushed into the relationship, we did not understand that our stubborn promises, were just the foreword of the end…”
…
Song Yu was entranced. She stood at the doorway, listening to Yan Beicheng’s singing voice. It had always been a song of sorrow and regret but his rendition brought tears to her eyes.
Regrets filled her heart. Her hand found Qi Chengzhi’s and she held firm.
Song Yu thought of something Qi Chengzhi once said to her. If she had been with him at the same age, he could see the young and frivolous him who was too immature. Not knowing how to take care of a lady, he would have lost her due to the mistreatment. If that happened, he would have lost the meaning of life.
She had always regretted that they did not get together earlier, that she took so long to understand him.
However, this song made her think that she was lucky. They got together when Qi Chengzhi had matured and was ready to love someone. They reunited when he could swear fidelity to the woman he loved.
Only now did she truly understand the meaning behind his words. He sacrificed time for the chance at a lasting relationship.
During the interlude, the singing paused for the instrumental. During this time, Yan Beicheng noticed Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi at the doorway and skipped the song.
Song Yu was somewhat disappointed. She had wanted to hear him finish the song.
While singing, Yan Beicheng was passionate and sincere—a side she had never associated with the usually thuggish man.
Although the song had been cut off, the atmosphere lingered and Yan Beicheng did not regain his composure immediately.
Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu over to the sofa. Chu Zhaoyang was silently scrolling his phone. He noticed the couple walking toward him and scooted aside to make room.
There was a heavy stench of cigarette smoke in the room. When they entered the room, clouds of smoke were floating in the air. There was a cigarette on every person in the room—be it between their lips or fingers.
Song Yu’s appearance made each and every one of them put out their cigarettes. However, the lack of ventilation in the room meant the smoke lingered.
“I just called Wei Ziqi and he said it was too late. He needs to coax the children to sleep. Qi Chenglin was the same.” Yan Beicheng took the cigarette between his lips and extinguished it in the ashtray. He raised his wrist and looked at the time. He sneered, “It’s only 8.30 pm now.”
Now that smoking was off the table, Han Zhuoli grabbed a lollipop from his pocket. “Can you go back and tell your grandmother to hush? My grandmother came to find me and almost twisted my ear off.”
“Hush? When the time comes for the wedding, your grandmother’s going to find out. She will come for you sooner or later,” Qi Chengzhi said coolly.
The retort made Han Zhuoli shake his head. “You’re proposing fast. You’ve only been together for a few months. Is this a shotgun wedding?”
“We’re abiding the standard protocol: marriage, then children.” Qi Chengzhi’s tone was mocking. “Even if it is a shotgun wedding, it’s not your business. Don’t dwell on the topic of our marriage, I’m not answering questions.”
At that, Wei Ziqian picked up the microphone and requested a song. He was not as good as Yan Beicheng but it was still better than the usual KTV standards.
“Little sister Xiao Yu, how did Qi Chengzhi propose to you?” Yan Beicheng pointed his long finger impudently at Qi Chengzhi. “Does our dark and gloomy boy know how to be romantic?”
Song Yu did not answer. Regardless of what her answer was, she felt that Yan Beicheng would seize the opportunity to crack a joke at their expense.
The mention of the proposal made her recall the event. She had sung Qi Chengzhi a song that day in the restaurant.
Now, as Wei Ziqian sang in the background, Song Yu asked Qi Chengzhi in an impromptu manner, “I have yet to hear you sing before.”
Song Yu was too shy to say it in front of others so she leaned over and whispered into his ear, “How about ‘Forever Love’?”
Ever since she dedicated the song to Qi Chengzhi, he would put it on whenever he fancied. She wondered how was he not sick of it yet.
Based on the frequency he listened to it, he should have mastered the lyrics.
Before Qi Chengzhi gave a reply, Han Zhuoli broke out in laughter. “Him singing? He can only hit one out of five notes. He has a photographic memory but no sense of pitch. He’s basically tone-deaf plus, he also has no sense of rhythm. Hence, he never sings with us.”
“But Qi Chengzhi sang when he was a child.” Yan Beicheng continued, “When I was in junior high, I visited the Qi family with my parents. He was bathing with the bathroom door open. The shrieks and howls that came from upstairs made me think he was being beaten. I will never forget it all my life. At that time, his mother was so embarrassed her face became red and she quickly got the servant to shut the door.
“I was in the same class as him in elementary school.” Wei Ziqian was snacking on a plate of fries as he said, “It was awful during music class. The teacher played the piano accompaniment while the whole class sang ‘Where Is Spring’. Back then, he would sing with a particularly loud voice. As a result, the whole class went out of tune with him. And not just that, even the rhythm was messed up and the teacher’s accompaniment was affected.
Wei Ziqian shook his head as nostalgia washed past him. “The music classes back then were always fun and chaotic.”
“…” Song Yu turned to stare at Qi Chengzhi in disbelief. The man who could do the impossible could not hold a tune?
At this moment, Qi Chengzhi kept a still face and munched on the bucket of popcorn in his arm, seemingly calm.
Song Yu could not help her curiosity. She had some faith in the words of Yan Beicheng and others.
On the outside, these men were low profile and mature but when gathered together, they become childish and mischievous. That did not mean they would simply blurt things out.
In a moment of surprise and disbelief, she gently pulled the sleeve of Qi Chengzhi but he continued to chew on the popcorn and ignored her.
She stretched her neck and leaned over, whispering, “Is it true?”
Qi Chengzhi did not speak but his ears were red. Under the dim light of the KTV, it was not obvious.
Song Yu’s lips were next to his ears and his red ears were visible to her.
Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi also had something that he was not good at. Song Yu was amused. He finally felt like a human being. Otherwise, it would be scary if he was proficient at everything.
“Sing for me when we get home,” she whispered again.
At last, Qi Chengzhi looked at her but his expression was unreadable. She could not tell if he agreed to her proposal.
If other people received that look by Qi Chengzhi, they would have backed down. However, Song Yu only held his arm tighter. Qi Chengzhi let his gaze fall. She held his arm so tightly that it was tucked in her bosom.
Qi Chengzhi’s mouth quirked upwards. It was quite comfortable being hugged this way.
Unable to resist the urge, he intentionally moved his trapped arm.
Song Yu did not realize the effect of her action—holding Qi Chengzhi’s arm was a subconscious decision. The sudden pressure from his arm made her look down at her chest. Only then did she realize her action—akin to that of some indecent women outside—was somewhat promiscuous.
She quickly loosened her hands around his arm. Despite her efforts, the arm remained at its position, embedded in her bosom, rubbing against her.
Song Yu’s face was red while Qi Chengzhi maintained a calm demeanor. His arm was up to no good yet his face revealed nothing but solemnity.
Song Yu thought, ‘Shameless.’ She bravely leaned over and said in his ear, “You are singing for me when we get home!”
She ended her order with a kiss on his red ear.
She wanted to tease Qi Chengzhi as it was rare to see him embarrassed.
To her surprise, her kiss made his ear even redder.
It was such a cute look. Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi with surprise—she did not know his ears could reach this level of redness.
Qi Chengzhi did not sing and they ended up playing a game of dice.
Yan Beicheng’s slender fingers toyed with the die. His thumb rubbed against the side of the die while his other hand threw popcorn into his mouth. He said, “Let’s not change the rules. Instead of drinking, whoever that loses sings a song. How’s that?”
Yan Beicheng’s idea was obviously directed at Qi Chengzhi.
This got Han Zhuoli and the others worked up. They wanted to hear Qi Chengzhi’s tone-deaf and out of rhythm singing. It was a shame that Qi Chengzhi realized his singing was atrocious in the second year of junior high and decided to never sing again. After that, they never got to hear Qi Chengzhi’s singing again. They lost their last chance to tease him.
“That’s a good idea!” Wei Ziqian rolled up his sleeves and picked up the dice cup elegantly. He placed the dice in it and gave it two shakes.
Qi Chengzhi had no objection. He threw his dice into the dice cup and shook it twice. The dice rattled inside.
Chu Zhaoyang looked at them, then at the microphone, and picked up his dice cup.
His thick eyebrows slanted downward, there was only one option, ‘No losing!’
Chu Zhaoyang was quiet to the point of maddening, coupled with his stoic face, he was suited for this game. Even Qi Chengzhi could not read anything from his face.
So even after a few rounds, Chu Zhaoyang truly did not lose.
Singing was a very common activity for the others and did not work as a punishment. Han Zhuoli and the others were happy to sing when they lost the game.
Several rounds passed, Han Zhuoli, Yan Beicheng, and Wei Ziqian struggled with great effort to make Chu Zhaoyang and Qi Chengzhi lose. The three of them were united with a common goal.
Unfortunately, Qi Chengzhi was cunning and did not lose. Even Song Yu lost twice and sang.
Qi Chengzhi looked at the time and said, “It’s getting late.”
“Last round!” Yan Beicheng said. He took out his phone and texted Wei Ziqian and Han Zhuoli, “If we can’t take down Qi Chengzhi, at least we get Lao Chu. Then it’ll be worth it!”
His proposal was unanimously approved by Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian.
After the first pass, Qi Chengzhi picked up on their scheme and raised his eyebrows. He joined in on their collective effort to make Chu Zhaoyang lose.
As a result, Chu Zhaoyang stood no chance and lost once.
“Haha! Lao Chu doesn’t even usually talk, let alone sing. I can’t wait to hear what his singing is like!” Wei Ziqian rapped his thigh happily. “Even though we didn’t get to hear Qi Chengzhi sing today, at least we have you!”
“…” Chu Zhaoyang silently walked up to the KTV machine and scrolled through the songs, his fingertips tapping on the display. Then, he picked up the microphone and stood in front of the big screen.
The name of the chosen song appeared on the screen, ‘My Skate Shoes’.
Everyone was speechless.
Yan Beicheng’s eyes twitched. “This KTV really keeps up with the times, they even have this kind of song.”
Then, they heard Chu Zhaoyang’s monotonous reading of the lyrics on the screen.
“I have forgotten some things, but I still remember…”
…
“Step by step, like claws, like the devil’s footstep, rubbing, rubbing…”
…
The room was silent.
They could not associate the funny lyrics with Chu Zhaoyang. The words sounded wrong coming out of his mouth.
Especially when Chu Zhaoyang had on a stone face from the beginning to the end. He went through the song without any rhythm, just like a robot dictating the lyrics without emotions. It was a strange experience.
“…” Song Yu listened to Chu Zhaoyang’s performance for some time, then said, “Chu Zhaoyang is really…quick-witted…”
When Chu Zhaoyang finished his song, he overheard Song Yu’s comment and kept a straight face. “Ha ha!”
The original intention of the game to make Qi Chengzhi sing was not fulfilled in the end.
…
…
They were back home at night. Qi Chengzhi took a bath and changed into his pajamas. When he walked out of the bathroom, Song Yu was already decent in her pajamas, tucked underneath the covers. She was scrolling something on her phone.
Looking at her comfortably in bed, Qi Chengzhi rashly dried his hair, pulled back the covers, and got into bed. With his back against the bed, he leaned onto Song Yu.
Drops of water from his hair dripped on her shoulders. The water soaked through her pajamas and the cold startled her.
Song Yu’s hand went through the pajamas neckline and wiped the water from her shoulder.
Qi Chengzhi’s approach brought with him the smell of men’s body bath—fresh and pleasant to the nose.
“What are you doing?” The low rumble of his attractive voice sounded beside her ear. It made her heart throb.
As Song Yu was attempting to reply, water droplets at the tips of his hair fell on her shoulder like light rain and a small patch of wetness formed.
The chill got to Song Yu. She pushed him away. “Go and dry your hair. The water is dripping on my shoulder and making me cold.”
Qi Chengzhi squinted and let out a soft huff at her rebuke. He remained motionless on the bed and no matter how hard she tried, she could not push him away.
Qi Chengzhi did not move away. Instead, he turned around and hugged her. Even her arms were trapped in his embrace. With a huff, he said in a somber voice, “You said you will love me even when I’m old and wrinkly and toothless. But now, we’re not even married and you’re starting to dislike me?”
“No- Oh!” Song Yu did not manage to finish her sentence before she was tackled onto the bed.
He rubbed his wet hair directly on her chest in all directions. The chest area of her pajamas was soaked through from the water.
“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu screamed from the sudden cold seeping through her pajamas. How could this man be so childish?
Song Yu shivered as the damp and cold pajamas stuck to her chest. Goosebumps formed on her skin. It was not warm in March, especially at night.
Qi Chengzhi raised his head. Even his face was wet from his antics. Part of his fringe was stuck to his forehead, making him look like a mischievous child.
With Qi Chengzhi’s face tucked against her chest, the cold was less potent.
When he lifted his head, the cold air blew across her chest, making her shiver.
“You’re so childish!” As Song Yu twisted and turned, trying to push him away. She tried to burrow deeper into the covers to warm herself.
Her movements caught Qi Chengzhi’s attention.
Below him, he saw her pajamas clinging to her curves—even her breasts were outlined.
When there were no guests at home, Song Yu did not bother wearing a bra.
Qi Chengzhi remembered the soft bosom against his face and his breath labored. He grabbed Song Yu’s hands away from the covers and pinned them above her head. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her breast directly through the pajamas.
Song Yu inhaled sharply and her body shivered—unsure if it was too hot or too cold.
Qi Chengzhi’s sensual lips latched onto her softness. His hoarse voice echoed, “Let me warm you up.”
He loosened his grip on her wrists. The hands inched down her arms and stopped at her waist. The hands went under the hem of her top and undressed her.
Song Yu’s breathing became heavy. Without much warning, he had taken off her pajamas. The goosebumps on her skin were going away as he warmed up her body. A faint pinkish hue was coming back to her skin.
Qi Chengzhi’s hands dipped down into her pajamas shorts and caressed her gently.
Song Yu gasped breathily. Her hips canted toward Qi Chengzhi. He was busy placing hot kisses on her breasts. Water still dripped down from his hair and the thermal extremes made her tremble.
Qi Chengzhi’s moved upward to find her lips. At the same time, he lifted her waist and thrust into her.
Song Yu could not help herself and deepened the kiss, exploring deeper into his mouth.
Qi Chengzhi moaned with satisfaction. He said against her lips, “It feels good without the rubber.”
Without that layer of protection, he could feel her earnestly. Qi Chengzhi felt like he could die from the experience.
Song Yu groaned. Her face was red from blushing. It truly was a very different sensation. She clung to him and held him in a tight embrace.
…
…
Qi Chengzhi held her in his embrace, seemingly still unsatiated. The elegant hands kneaded hotly across her back. Occasionally, the fingers traveled down south and pinched at her buttocks. Song Yu’s body was red from pinching as she nestled into his arms.
Since Song Yu decided to let nature decide when they have children, he no longer needed to wear condoms—which was amazing.
Just remembering the feeling made his heart fill with joy. He lowered his head and started kissing her shoulder suggestively. He gently nudged her back to kiss her breasts.
“What were you looking at on your phone just now?” Qi Chengzhi asked passingly. He did not really want to know, he just had nothing to chat about.
