“…” Song Yu’s face went all red. It was supposed to be touching! Why did it become that way whenever it involved him?
She shook off his hand angrily and hooted, “Focus on driving!”
While Qi Chengzhi’s eyes were looking straight at the road, his naughty hand which was cast off crept in again. His two fingers were treading lightly, and went from her leg to her hand, intending to hold it.
Song Yu pulled out before he held it. She slapped lightly on the back of his hand. “Focus!”
“Hm.” Qi Chengzhi nodded agreeably. “Give me your hand. Otherwise, I can’t concentrate because of my desire to hold it.”
“…” Song Yu was speechless. He could spin an unconvincing reason so persuasively. She exerted his hand on the steering wheel. “Concentrate on the steering wheel when you’re driving.”
“Don’t mess around. You know I’m used to holding your hand while driving.” Qi Chengzhi took the chance and grabbed her hand.
Song Yu struggled to pull her hand out, but his grip was too tight. She heard Qi Chengzhi blaming her. “Don’t mess around. Don’t you want me to focus on driving?”
“…” Look at him! He was blaming it on her.
Song Yu mumbled in her heart. She was not thick-skinned like him. Since she could not argue against him, she could only let him hold her hand.
Who knew that Qi Chengzhi was not done yet? His thumb began tickling her index finger. He said indifferently, “Keep it under control for now. I will satisfy you tonight. ”
Song Yu could hear a bomb go off in her head. She was fuming, with her scalp feeling the heat. She was trying hard not to kick him out of the car.
“Qi Chengzhi! That’s enough!” Song Yu snarled.
“Heh heh.” Qi Chengzhi chuckled, feeling delighted. He brought her hand over and kissed on the back of it. He finally let it rest.
…
…
The Range Rover stopped at the entrance of the Qi family’s old mansion. When Song Yu released the seat belt, Qi Chengzhi leaned toward her.
Song Yu was shocked. With the back of her head against the chair, all she could see was Qi Chengzhi’s magnified face. His features looked delicate, even up close.
Whether one looked at them separately, or together, they were flawless.
The edge of his lips curled slightly. His gentle gaze melted her heart and made her feel relaxed. Their fiery breaths intertwined.
Song Yu’s lashes batted lightly. Even though Qi Chengzhi had not made a move, she knew he was going to kiss her.
She was getting used to him kissing her in public, even right at the entrance of the old mansion.
Song Yu’s breathing was a mess. It was in between light and heavy, fast and slow. Sometimes, she would hold her breath unknowingly.
Her lashes flapped like butterfly wings. She closed her eyes slowly, as she could feel Qi Chengzhi’s fiery breath approaching. His breath fell on her lips, and her lips began to tremble too.
However, his lips never fell on hers after what seemed like a long time.
Song Yu’s lashes were still fluttering. She opened her eyes slightly, still half squinting, and she found Qi Chengzhi smiling faintly at her. His eyes looked at her jokingly.
“I was just looking at you. Do you want me to kiss you so badly?” Qi Chengzhi lifted his brow, his tone ironic. Coupled with his expression, it ticked her off.
“…” Song Yu was mad. Why was this man on a roll that day?
She let out an angry huff. Her cheeks went red with anger. With both her hands on his chest, she pushed him away hard. She then turned around and wanted to get off the car, still annoyed.
As her hand touched the handle of the car door, he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back.
“You said I’m petty. Now, who’s being petty?” His deep, hoarse voice could not hide the fact that he was entertained. He leaned closer. When he spoke, his lips were almost against hers.
She could smell the cold and raw odor of his breath. The pleasant aroma made her heart beat fast.
“Am I being petty?” Song Yu’s index finger poked at his chest. “Why’re you bullying me today?”
Her soft finger, despite being on his chest, and with the second joint bent into ninety degrees, he did not feel pain at all.
Qi Chengzhi had his one hand at the back of the chair, and the other was holding on to Song Yu’s finger. His thumb and index finger pinched her soft fingertip gently.
“Because you became my wife officially today. I can’t help it.” He let out a laugh and leaned even closer. He began rubbing gently against her lips.
As he was doing that, he said with a hoarse voice, “Next time, you’re the bona fide Mrs. Qi. I’m happy.”
Song Yu recalled his diary. She could not imagine how happy he was feeling.
From his appearance, he seemed composed, so she could not tell.
Hearing his statement, she had her lips curled into a slight crescent. She pecked lightly on his lips. As she saw his left hand at the side of her face when she turned around, she pulled it toward her.
She touched the wedding ring on his ring finger. On the middle finger, he was still wearing the couple ring they got together.
“If any woman tries to seduce you, show her your ring,” Song Yu said. “You’re now a married man.”
Song Yu’s gaze was gentle. With a serious look, she announced proudly in her soft voice, “My man.”
Qi Chengzhi smiled gently. He kissed her full, soft lips, and she felt as if the kiss electrocuted her.
His face was right in her face. His tall nose drew closer, and the tip of his nose was against hers. She was all over his refined features and charming eyes. She could feel a hot stream in her stomach, as though she had had some hot soup. Her insides were melting, and she curled her toes. Her abdomen kept contracting.
“Time to go.” Blushing, Song Yu nudged him.
In a trance, Qi Chengzhi looked at her rosy cheeks. He could not let himself miss any moment.
He kissed her again and pinched her all over before he fell back to his seat. He opened the door and got off the car.
The two entered the Qi family’s old mansion. Grandmother Qi had the driver pick up Qi Youxuan earlier from kindergarten due to Qi Chengzhi’s call.
He was sitting on a little bench in the living room. He had a track set up and was remote-controlling his Go-Kart.
The roads on the racing track were the arduous ones. It had various descents and ascents that occupied half the living room. The roads were piling up like a hill.
“Madam Qi, Young Master and Miss Song are back.” When Aunt Liu finished, Qi Youxuan had already switched off his remote control and ran to the door.
Grandmother Qi did not have a role that day, hence, she was waiting for the two at home. She was reading the script through her presbyopic glasses.
When she heard what Aunt Liu said, she put the script aside and took off her glasses. She then walked toward the door.
Grandmother Qi moved slowly. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu came in when she was halfway there.
“Aiyo! You sounded mysterious over the phone just now. What’s the matter? Why do you need to gather the family?” As Grandmother Qi spoke, she was retracing her steps.
When she sat down, Qi Chengzhi said, “We’re married.”
“I knew you and her…” Before Grandmother Qi could finish her sentence, she halted and jerked her head, looking at Song Yu. “What did you say?”
“I said, Song Yu and I are married, for real. We got our marriage certificate today.” Qi Chengzhi’s expression was severe. He lifted Song Yu’s hand, for Grandmother Qi to have a good look at the diamond ring on Song Yu’s left ring finger, and the one on his.
“Damn, you kid! Why do you have to surprise an older woman like me? Aren’t you worried that I might get a heart attack from all these pleasant surprises?” Grandmother Qi felt weak as a result of sudden joy. She could not stand up from the sofa.
“Can’t you two give me a heads up?” Grandmother Qi was overjoyed. While she seemed like she was complaining, the smiling wrinkles on her face said otherwise. “You were registered today? Where’s the marriage certificate? Show me!”
Song Yu smiled as she took out the marriage certificate from her bag and passed it to Grandmother Qi.
Grandmother Qi looked at the marriage certificate and was delighted. “Aiyo! Look at my grandson and my granddaughter-in-law. A match made in heaven! Which other couple is as matching as you? I have a blessed life to have two great-grandchildren at this age! If I’m lucky, I think it’s not a problem to live to see eight or ten more.
“Xiao Liu. Please make some tea. I need to have a drink with my granddaughter-in-law!” Grandmother Qi shouted.
Qi Chengzhi caught Qi Youxuan moving stealthily closer toward them at the corner of his eyes. He waved his hand at Qi Youxuan, beckoning him to come over. “Come, help me out.”
Qi Youxuan rejected outright unexpectedly. “I’m busy. I have to greet Auntie with tea later.”
“Stop being a busybody.” Qi Chengzhi then said disdainfully, “Come and help out. Treat it as a part-time job.”
Qi Youxuan blinked. His grape-like eyes glistened, and he ran over, swinging his hips. “Uncle, I want to build a Go-Kart track in the backyard of my house, so I can experience the joy of driving.”
Qi Chengzhi sneered. “Wait and greet your Auntie with tea.”
He then left.
“Uncle, wait a minute. We can discuss the matter!” Qi Youxuan again, swinging his bouncy and prominent hips, followed after Qi Chengzhi.
“Uncle, there’s a new mountain ring track.” Song Yu could still hear Qi Youxuan.
It was silent after. It seemed like the two had reached an agreement.
“Go to your room,” Qi Chengzhi said.
As Grandmother Qi missed the great-grandson, Qi Youxuan came over often. There was a room reserved for Qi Youxuan in the old mansion.
Qi Youxuan’s room was not overly spacious. It was about the size of a kid’s room in an ordinary family. While Grandfather and Grandmother Qi loved him a lot, they did not overly pamper him. They were strict on education and raised Qi Youxuan to stay away from wasteful habits.
The floor was covered with soft carpet. There was also a kid-sized single bed, a single-unit shelf, and a desk with a Dell laptop on top. There were all kinds of children’s books on the shelf.
On the other wall, there was a rack where his toy models were placed.
Qi Chengzhi had Qi Youxuan look around for two pairs of scissors. While the safety scissors Qi Youxuan used were right for him, they were too small for Qi Chengzhi. He could only fit one finger in, and there was no space for more.
Without a choice, Qi Chengzhi had to request for a pair of scissors from Aunt Liu.
Aunt Liu was curious about the need for the Young Master to use a pair of scissors. When Qi Chengzhi was in primary school, he had never completed any of his arts and crafts homework. Instead, he had her, or other helpers in Qi Zhongxun’s family to help out.
When Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna found out, they were strictly against it. They refrained the helpers and Aunt Liu from doing so.
Qi Chengzhi boycotted the operation, as he claimed he would never do such a thing that could hurt his manhood, and that the activity was for girls.
Qi Chengzhi returned with a pair of scissors. Qi Youxuan showed his pair of scissors to him while sitting on the carpet. “Uncle, what do you want me to do?”
Qi Chengzhi then took out a stack of photos from his suit pocket. “Trace Auntie’s profile carefully and cut the photos.”
Qi Youxuan took the photos. “Eh, isn’t the one next to her Uncle Jian Yi?”
His little fat hand began to flip through the stack. “Uncle, why are they photos of Auntie and Uncle Jian Yi?”
Within seconds, Qi Youxuan seemed to understand the context. He looked at Qi Chengzhi sympathetically. “Did Auntie date Uncle Jian Yi in the past?”
“…” Qi Chengzhi sat down and sneered. “Do you still want the mountain ring track?”
“…” Qi Youxuan took up one of the photos and began cutting silently.
After cutting out Song Yu, Qi Youxuan pointed at the photos with only Jian Yi left and asked, “How about the photos of Uncle Jian Yi?”
“Leave them here first.” Qi Chengzhi put Jian Yi’s photos on one side. He was done with the photo he was working on. He then threw Jian Yi’s picture on top of the pile.
Qi Youxuan could not keep his mouth shut. He asked, “Uncle, this is in the past. Can you stop being petty? Everyone has a past. Look at me. I like Muran, and that’s why I’m making sure she will not have a chance to date anybody. If you like Auntie, you should keep a close watch on her. Of course, perhaps you weren’t as smart as me, and unlike me, you weren’t childhood sweethearts with Auntie. Well, you can only blame yourself for meeting Auntie late.”
Qi Chengzhi sneered. “I’m close with Wei Ziqi. If you can’t stop talking, I will introduce a few skinnier and better-looking boys to Muran.
Qi Youxuan reacted strongly. He was able to tell where the wind was blowing. He threw the pair of scissors aside and stood up. “Uncle, you need to help your nephew, instead of an outsider! Uncle, what’d you like to eat? I’ll get it for you.”
“Wait until you’re done with this,” Qi Chengzhi remarked coldly.
Qi Youxuan had learned his lesson and decided to keep his mouth shut. Despite his chubby hands, he was rather nimble. He quickly went through the pile, and the end products were great.
Qi Chengzhi kept Song Yu’s photos and crumpled Jian Yi’s. He walked out of Qi Youxuan’s bedroom without saying a word.
Qi Youxuan wondered what Qi Chengzhi wanted to do. He then nagged, “Uncle, don’t forget the mountain ring track!”
Twisting his hips, he followed. He saw Qi Chengzhi went to ask for a steel basin from Aunt Liu.
Aunt Liu passed the steel basin to Qi Chengzhi. Terrified, she asked, “Young Master, what do you need the steel basin for?”
First, it was the pair of scissors, and then the steel basin. What was driving the abnormal behavior of Qi Chengzhi?
Qi Chengzhi merely replied, “I will return it soon.” He then walked away with the basin.
He recalled he did not have a lighter after he carried the basin to the backyard. He gave Qi Youxuan fifty bucks for him to be a runner for the lighter.
When Qi Youxuan returned, he brought back a single-use transparent, plastic lighter that costed two bucks. He kept the forty-eight dollars change for himself.
On his way back, he passed by the kitchen. Qi Youxuan took out a yogurt drink from the fridge. While sucking on it, he asked, “Uncle, what’re you doing?”
He saw Qi Chengzhi squatting with the steel basin right in front of him. He took out Jian Yi’s photos, lit the lighter and ignited the images. Meanwhile, he mumbled, “Rest in peace. If I find your photos again, I will burn them for you.”
Qi Youxuan was speechless. “…”
Don’t people do this during Tomb-Sweeping Day?
Leaving no traces of Jian Yi’s photos, Qi Chengzhi clapped and stood up. He threw away the ashes in the basin and brought the steel basin in.
When Aunt Liu got the steel basin, she realized there were still ashes in it. She wondered what Qi Chengzhi used the basin for.
When Qi Chengzhi returned to the living room, he saw a big, thick album on Song Yu’s lap.
He walked over and sat next to Song Yu. He realized it was an album of him, in particular, when he was a kid.
Qi Chengzhi smiled. He placed his hand on her back and twirled a strand of hair with his finger.
“Are you looking for pictures of me with other women?” He lifted his brows and asked sarcastically.
Song Yu turned and smiled at him. She lowered her head and continued looking. “Well, I’m curious how you looked like as a kid. I was too young to remember. It’s difficult to imagine how you might look like a cute boy. I feel like you’ve always looked like this.”
Qi Chengzhi chuckled. “If I looked the way I look now, I must be a monster!”
Song Yu laughed. She flipped another page, and her eyes grew wide.
She saw a photo with Qi Chengzhi inside, looking young and innocent.
On the kiddy face, his skin was silky fair. If his hair was slightly longer, he would look like a little girl.
Back then, he indeed looked like a pretty girl, with his red lips and bright teeth.
What surprised her was that she was right next to him. She looked like she was around two to three years old then, with skinny limbs and wearing a dress with puff sleeves and white leggings.
There was a red handkerchief on her head, and she could tell the name of the restaurant from the corner of the handkerchief. One corner of the handkerchief was lifted to reveal her unworldly face.
Her eyes felt more prominent than they were as an adult. Her doe-eyed look was adorable to the onlookers.
Qi Chengzhi, on the other hand, had an air of composure around him. It had indeed not changed over the years.
Qi Chengzhi was holding Song Yu’s hand in the picture. While he was not wearing a boutonnière, he looked like a groom next to Song Yu.
Song Yu pointed at the photo surprisingly. “When was this?”
By chance, Grandmother Qi returned with a stack of albums and heard what Song Yu said.
She went back to the house to look for more albums of Qi Chengzhi as a kid. She carried all of them back in one go.
“This? It was when you visited the in-laws at three-year-old.” Grandmother Qi remarked happily. She wanted to say Qi Chengzhi’s parents, but then she recalled Song Yu was part of the family. She changed it to in-laws and saying that made her happy.
Grandmother Qi was not around then, and Xia Wenna informed her.
“You were playing the formal bow for the bride and groom according to Chinese customs with Chengji, but for some reason, it was Chengzhi who took you out. You two did look like a married couple, so your mother-in-law took a photo of it,” Grandmother Qi explained. “Chengji didn’t know what happened, so he was still waiting for you. He wasn’t even aware when you left.
“Looking at this photo, it seems like your marriage is fated. You’ve already done the formal bow, and twenty years have gone by! By chance, you two got married! What a wonderful thing!” Grandmother Qi placed the stack of albums on the tea table and leaned closer to look at photos of the two.
“You were still too young then. You were in primary school when Chengzhi went to university. If only the age gap was smaller, the two of you would have been engaged, and we could’ve avoided all the trouble.” Grandmother Qi said regrettably, “If that’s the case, perhaps you two would’ve gotten married earlier. Chengzhi wouldn’t have to wait till he’s thirty-five to end his bachelor’s life. I would’ve had my great-grandchild!”
While Song Yu could not remember the playhouse incident, but from how well she knew Qi Chengzhi, she supposed it was intentional. It was unfortunate that Qi Chengji was too young and had no say in the game. He was not even aware that he had been deceived.
Song Yu took a glimpse at Qi Chengzhi and saw no change in expression. It was as though he was not aware of the trick he had played on Chengji.
“Uncle, so you’ve known Auntie from before?” Unknowingly, Qi Youxuan had sneaked through. His small, round head popped out from behind the sofa, in between the shoulders of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.
“You’re not the only one with a childhood sweetheart.” Qi Chengzhi rolled his eyes at him, recalling what this little fatty said in the room. He was irritated whenever he thought about it.
Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan looked at Qi Chengzhi with surprise. “If you’ve known Auntie from before, why would you let her date anyone?”
Qi Chengzhi was speechless. “…”
Song Yu said nothing. “…”
“Qi Youxuan, where did you learn these?” Grandmother Qi dragged Qi Youxuan over.
…
…
At night, when the others from the Qi family returned, it was already dark outside.
Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were the last to return. When they stepped into the house, Qi Chengyue asked, “Grandma, what’s the important matter? Why did you call all of us back?”
It was a working day and not a weekend. Typically, the Qi family’s gathering was during the weekends. However, Grandmother Qi called each of them at midday, which was rather sudden. When asked about the matter, Grandmother Qi seemed to not know of it. She only ordered them to come home. Nobody disobeyed the order.
“What’re you rushing for? Take off the coat and rest for a while. I will announce it later,” Grandmother Qi replied. She rubbed her hands together, looking rather excited.
She had already discussed it with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, for her to announce the great news. She would not even let Grandfather Qi have the chance.
Grandfather Qi’s reaction was just a mere ‘hmph.’ While he wanted to announce it personally, he did not show it to keep his image. He pretended he was calm at the side.
While he opposed the relationship between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi before, he realized the two were inseparable. He had to agree to their relationship.
After agreeing to it, Grandfather Qi was open to it. Of course, it was also aided by Grandmother Qi’s ‘education.’
Anyway, Grandfather Qi was glad that Qi Chengzhi got married and ended thirty-five years of his bachelor’s life.
All Grandfather Qi wanted of Qi Chengzhi was for him to have someone he liked, regardless of who she was, as long as he was willing to marry someone and have kids.
Qi Chengyue pouted and was about to act coquettishly with Grandmother Qi before seeing Song Yu come out from the dining room and called everyone for dinner.
Jian Yi was shocked. He did not expect Song Yu to be around.
He thought that after he revealed the truth behind the bankruptcy of the Song family with solid proof; there would be cracks in the relationship between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.
Even if she had liked him a lot, to the extent that her heart would be torn apart if he left her, she had to contemplate slowly. She would have become estranged with Qi Chengzhi and interrogated him. He expected her to separate from Qi Chengzhi to sort out the matter.
Regardless, their relationship would not be the same as before.
However, this situation was not what he expected at all.
Not only did Song Yu not estrange from Qi Chengzhi, but her happy expression was also a pain to the eyes for him.
Besides, it was apparent that she was not faking it. She was not acting in front of the Qi family for the benefits she could reap.
Jian Yi frowned and gazed at Song Yu.
Song Yu saw him too, but she merely glanced by him indifferently. Her eyes did not stop until they fell on Qi Chengzhi. Her smile seemed sweeter than usual, even though there was not much difference in the arch. However, it was a different smile compared to when it was for the others.
When Song Yu’s eyes fell on Qi Chengzhi, her eyes could not have anyone else. Her smiley eyes were glistening.
Qi Chengzhi turned to look at her. The moment he saw her, his severe features turned gentle.
He did not make any obvious move, but it seemed like she heard his summon, and she went over. She did not touch him. She stood by his side, and they could not take their eyes off each other.
Jian Yi could not understand what was happening, and he was angry. He had already presented her with all the evidence. Why was she still with Qi Chengzhi?
Did she not believe it? Did she not hate Qi Chengzhi at all?
How could she forgive such a terrible mistake Qi Chengzhi had done so easily?
He lied to her once, and what he did compared to Qi Chengzhi was nothing. However, she never forgave him and treated him as if he was invisible. She had never given him any positive expression.
“Faster. Let’s all head to the dining room. After we sit down, I will announce something important.” Grandmother Qi’s joyful voice brought Jian Yi back to reality.
Qi Chengyue’s arm slipped into Jian Yi’s. Since Song Yu stepped out, she had been paying attention to Jian Yi’s expression.
