Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Qi Chengyue’s arm slipped into Jian Yi’s. Since Song Yu stepped out, she had been paying attention to Jian Yi’s expression.
Qi Chengyue’s expression was gloomy. Because of jealousy, while there was no significant change to her expression, her face looked twisted.
She sneered and spoke softly to Jian Yi, “What do you think the matter is, that she has to gather everyone before announcing it? The last time it was the relationship between my big brother and Song Yu. How about this time?”
Qi Chengyue halted. She exclaimed, “Eh, there’s a diamond ring on the left ring finger of Song Yu! Could it be that they’ve gotten married?”
Jian Yi’s cold, piercing eyes stared right at the shiny diamond on Song Yu’s hand.
“Whatever it’s, let’s go in first.” Qi Chengyue dragged Jian Yi along, and seemingly rejoiced in his misery.
Everyone sat down by the dining table. Hot dishes were served, and there was a glass of red wine in front of everyone. It seemed a formal event.
Previous gatherings at the old mansion were never so formal. The conversations were casual. They just conveyed what happened over the week to Grandmother and Grandfather Qi in a relaxed manner, unlike that night.
Everyone gazed at Grandmother Qi with doubt. Grandmother Qi cleared her throat and smiled with her eyes squinted. She was delighted thinking about the matter she was going to announce.
“I have great news,” Grandmother Qi said.
At her side, Grandfather Qi let out a ‘hmph,’ as he was in a foul mood about Grandmother Qi stealing the limelight.
“Today, we have a new person joining the Qi family. Song Yu is officially the daughter-in-law of our family!” Grandmother Qi said and clapped.
As the others were still in a state of shock and had not fully recovered, nobody was clapping. It made Grandmother Qi’s claps sound rather lonely.
After a few claps, Grandmother Qi coughed.
“Mom, what does this mean?” Qi Zhongliang did not assume that they were officially wed. “Isn’t Song Yu going to marry into our family? We knew it!”
Grandmother Qi rolled her eyes at him. She said impatiently, “With your IQ, are you sure Qilin is in good hands? You said Song Yu is going to marry into the family, and what I said was Song Yu is officially the daughter-in-law in the family. Can you not tell the difference?”
“Are you doing it or not? I will take over!” Grandfather Qi could not stand it anymore. “Why do you have to take twists and turns? Can’t you just tell them Song Yu and Chengzhi have gotten their marriage certificate today?”
“Qi Lingxian!” Grandmother Qi got anxious; she shouted, “Didn’t you agree to let me make the announcement? Your statement leaves them with no surprises! You’ve ruined the speech I’ve prepared the whole afternoon, and the effect I desired!”
“Hmph!” While Grandfather Qi sounded angry, his eyes and the corner of his lips were curled into crescents. His eyebrows lifted, and he was touching the grey mustache. He looked pleased.
Grandmother Qi came to a sudden realization and glared at Grandfather Qi. “You damn old man. You did it on purpose! You didn’t snatch the opportunity in the afternoon, and now you’re ruining my stage and stealing my lines!”
“Hmph hmph!” Grandfather Qi tilted his chin and continued touching his mustache. “Don’t assume that I’m as petty as you.”
When Grandmother Qi rolled her sleeves and intended to argue further with Grandfather Qi, Qi Zhongliang stopped her. “Alright, alright. Mom, tell us what happened. We’re still confused. Did Chengzhi and Song Yu get their marriage certificate today?”
After saying that, Qi Zhongliang turned to look at Qi Chengzhi.
Qi Chengzhi spoke with a flat voice, “I’ve registered this morning with Song Yu. We’re legally married now, and Song Yu’s name will appear on our family’s account.”
Qi Zhongliang was stunned. He could not find the right words for a while.
Grandmother Qi had moved on from throwing a tantrum at Grandfather Qi. She wanted to snatch her speaking rights back. She laughed. “Heh heh. Well, they’ve gotten the marriage certificate. All that’s left is the wedding and next, the great-grandkid. With Chengzhi and Song Yu’s lightning speed, I think the kid will come in a short matter of time.”
Jian Yi’s face sunk. He said nothing. He did not expect Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi to be officially wed.
He looked at Song Yu, who was sitting diagonally across and stared at her left hand that was on the table. She was holding on to the stem of the wine glass and swirling the wine.
It was an excellent time for him to take a good look at the even shinier diamond ring under the light on her left hand.
Why did she not hate Qi Chengzhi, after he had made the Song family go bankrupt, and made her suffer so much? She had descended from the throne to a commoner. Her old familiars even made fun of her.
The difference in her life before and after was like heaven and earth. It was Qi Chengzhi who stripped her of her life, and her right to enjoy.
Did she ever think about what right did Qi Chengzhi have?
Qi Zhongliang did not comment on Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu’s marriage certificate. It was something that was going to happen regardless, including the wedding. There was no need to focus on the formality.
Grandmother Qi was the happiest. She grabbed hold of everyone to celebrate, and there was no opposition from the floor.
“Why? Are you not happy that Song Yu married my big brother?” Qi Chengyue whispered in Jian Yi’s ears.
Jian Yi looked at her gloomily. He was sick of pretending, so he said nothing.
Qi Chengyue was not going to let this go. She sneered sarcastically and continued to speak in a voice where only the two of them could hear. “Jian Yi, you’re a good actor. You put on a good show before our wedding. You told me you love me, and look at you now.
“Initially, I wasn’t pleased with Song Yu marrying my big brother. I can’t stand to see her living a better life than me and have a higher status than me. If you didn’t act in such an obvious manner, I might have helped you and made sure Song Yu would never be a part of the family,” Qi Chengyue spoke softly.
“However, your neglect got worse every day. Song Yu occupied your mind all the time. If you’re not giving me a good time, why should I let you have it?” Qi Chengyue’s voice was ice-cold, with an underlying current that implied neither of them could benefit from this. Others could not hear what she said, and from her sweet smile, they assumed she was intimate and was whispering lovers’ speech to Jian Yi.
“If Song Yu marrying my big brother made you so unhappy, I will no longer oppose it. Did you not realize I’ve not said no for a long time? Seeing you suffer is a joy to me. Jian Yi, I’ve finally come to my senses. I used to wish for you to love me and only have me in your eyes. However, I now know it’s impossible. You’re heartless. In your eyes, whether it’s Song Yu or me, or anyone else, nothing compares to money and status.
“If that’s the case, I won’t give you anything you want. I want you to live in regret your whole life, and I want to lock you in this marriage. Since you’ve made me upset, I will do the same to you, and make it a hundred or a thousand times worse. I no longer wish for a happy marriage. All I want is to see you suffer, to see you never live to see the light of the day.
“Not only that, I will treat Song Yu like my real sister-in-law. I will build a good relationship with her, and chit chat amicably with her. I want to show you how happy she’s in a marriage with my big brother. Jian Yi, you don’t deserve any woman’s love. Do you know that?”
Hearing what Qi Chengyue said, Jian Yi wanted to flare up, but he could not do it in front of the Qi family. He could only keep it under control.
Furthermore, he could not even say anything to Qi Chengyue back home. Otherwise, she would head home and complain.
Guan Liya had made it clear the last time if they did not treat Qi Chengyue well, Jian Yi would get nothing.
Because of that, even Zhou Mingyan did not dare to order Qi Chengyue around. Although she never looked pleased, she did not go overboard.
Jian Yi felt that he had trapped himself in jail.
He was trapped in the marriage with Qi Chengyue. He could not wring out of it, and he had no freedom.
Qi Chengyue gave him nothing—money, status, and future. However, he could not bear to offend Qi Chengyue.
Jian Yi was suffocating under such immense pressure. He wanted to break free as he was sick of this.
Qi Chengyue ignored his gloomier expression and continued. “Did you see the diamond ring on Song Yu’s hand. Since the engagement ring was extraordinary, I expect big brother to bring in something unusual for the wedding ring.”
Qi Chengyue lowered her head and looked at the diamond ring on her left ring finger. She remained silent for a while and observed it.
Back then, she wore the ring gleefully. While it was something money could buy, it had a special place in her heart because it signified the marriage with Jian Yi.
She did not look down on Jian Yi’s background, and she did not dismiss how the ring lacked creativity or thoughtfulness, she still wore it with joy. She was full of hope toward a blissful life and marriage.
Looking at it again, she felt it was a half-hearted effort on Jian Yi’s part. It meant nothing, and it should not bear the weight of a wedding ring.
Qi Chengyue lowered her eyes, and hence Jian Yi missed the sadness and disappointment in her eyes.
She looked up again, and the sarcasm returned. With her finger pulp on the diamond, she teased. “Unlike my ring, there’s not much thought put into it. One simply picked it up at the counter. The diamond isn’t even of the top quality! Do you know where the diamond on Song Yu’s ring come from? I’m not sure if you read the news. At the beginning of the year, Christie’s auctioned a newly mined diamond. While it isn’t the largest in the world, it has the highest purity. An anonymous person won the bid.
“The person is my big brother. He then found a famous diamond cutter and personally paid a visit to him to have him cut it into this shape. I don’t know how good it is, but I do know that the cutter is the only one who has the technology, and it’s passed on to only one person per generation.
“Don’t even talk about the base ring, how finely crafted it is. You can’t even compare to him in terms of thoughtfulness. I’m not comparing how much effort he puts into me versus you, but how much effort he puts into Song Yu. Compared to my big brother, who do you think you are?”
Qi Chengyue lowered her head and saw the hands resting on Jian Yi’s knees were tightly clenched. The veins were visible from the exertion.
She laid her hand on the back of his and caressed on the veins with the pulp of her finger. She laughed lightly. “Heh heh, are you mad? Are you suffering?”
Jian Yi clenched his teeth and tried his best to control himself. He tilted his head slightly and whispered, “What’s the meaning of this? While you hurt me, you hurt yourself too. You harm others, and it’s detrimental to you. What’s the point?”
Qi Chengyue’s head jerked. Her glare at Jian Yi revealed the complications she felt inside —anger, sadness, and love.
“Chengyue, what are you two whispering about?” Grandmother Qi’s voice rang through.
Qi Chengyue kept her eyes and returned with a sweet smile. She blushed. “Grandma, we’re talking about something private.”
“Heh heh heh. You’re still in the honeymoon stage.” Grandmother Qi was beaming with joy. Maybe it was not long till she got a maternal great-grand kid.
Even Qi Chengzhi who used to give her an enormous headache got married at the age of thirty-five, Grandmother Qi felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off. She was delighted and relieved, as though a heavy stone had been removed from her shoulder.
With one worry settled, Grandmother Qi began diverting her attention to Qi Chenglin.
Grandmother Qi looked at Qi Youxuan, who was munching on a chicken drumstick and let out a sigh. There was oil all over his mouth.
This child did not have his mother with him since young, and that was why Grandmother Qi doted on him.
Grandmother Qi said this often, “While Youxuan doesn’t have his mom with him, he can grow to be such a good, bright kid because of how sensible he is. He’s such a lovely child.”
Thinking about it, Grandmother Qi felt a sudden soreness in her eyes.
Grandmother Qi blinked away the tears and whimpered. “Chenglin, your big brother is married now, and you’re already thirty-three. It’s time to find Youxuan a mom.”
Qi Chenlin almost choked on the rice. He coughed. “Grandma, it’s fine. I have many contacts with others, and who knows? One day I may find someone I like. Instead of worrying about me, you should be worried about Chengji. He’s in the military and surrounded by men. Even if there’s a female soldier, there are still more men than women. With such a narrow social circle, where can he meet girls?”
Qi Chengji’s hand that was reaching out for the food trembled. He did not expect the second elder brother to be dragging him down. He applied for special leave for the day, and Qi Chenglin chose to offer him as the target.
He glanced at Qi Chenglin and said calmly, “Second elder brother, I’m just twenty-seven. There’s no rush. If you keep delaying, however, you won’t have a second kid. Youxuan will be the only son in the family.”
Grandmother Qi did not take the bait. She waved her hand. “Don’t push it to each other. There’s indeed no rush for Chengji. Twenty-seven is not too old for a man. You’re in a more urgent state than him.”
Grandmother Qi lifted her brows. “You said you’ve much contact with others, but after so many years, why haven’t you found someone? Look at Chengzhi and how swift he is! He met Song Yu last year, and now they’re married!”
Qi Chenglin was stunned. He mumbled in his heart that she did not know how many years of effort big brother had to put in for it.
Besides, before this, Qi Chengzhi had always been heavily criticized by Grandmother Qi. After he got married, he became the model for them.
“I think you’re not putting in much effort to know the people, and that’s why even after you meet so many women over the years, you’ve not found anyone suitable,” Grandmother Qi said.
“The Song girl, you know quite a few people through work, whether they’re clients or coworkers. Do you have anyone suitable to introduce to Chenglin? I don’t ask for them to be of equal status, or if they need to have any brilliant background. All I want is for them to be a proper person with a good and honest heart.”
It was not in Song Yu’s place to introduce someone to Qi Chenglin. What if Qi Chenglin felt annoyed by them? It would offend the female party too. It was an arduous and thankless task.
When she was about to agree for the sake of agreeing, Song Yu suddenly thought of Ruan Danchen. While she did not agree right away, she replied, “Okay, I will pay attention.”
“Great!” Grandmother Qi smiled, satisfied. Looking at Song Yu’s expression, it seemed she was going to look into this. Then she said, “Of course, even though Chengji is still young, he can search for a girlfriend, and date for one or two years. He’s almost thirty, and it’s the ripe age for marriage. You’re familiar with Chengji, and you should know him and his type well. Even if you’re not sure, you can ask him directly. There’s no need to be shy.
“If you meet anyone compatible with Chengji, don’t forget to link them up!” Grandmother Qi exhorted. She did not let Qi Chengji have an easy time.
“Okay.” Song Yu nodded and looked at Qi Chengji in a manner that was ridiculing him.
After dinner, Grandmother Qi asked for the marriage certificate from Song Yu. After taking a picture of it, she kept her phone. “I will show it to the theater group tomorrow when I go for acting. I will also pay a visit to the Han family and show this to Xiao Han’s grandma.
Song Yu recalled the last time Grandmother Qi called Han Zhuoli’s grandmother—Grandmother Han pinched his ear so hard that it became swollen.
If Grandmother Qi showed this to Grandmother Han, she wondered what terrible state Han Zhuoli would be in.
Thinking about it, Grandmother Qi grew impatient. She took out her phone and poked around. “Hello, Xiao Chen. I’ve something to tell you.”
“…”
“Heh heh heh. It’s great news. Let me tell you, my eldest grandson is married!”
“…”
“No, no. They are officially wed, with the marriage certificate! They’re just waiting for the wedding ceremony now. I’m so happy; I have to find someone to share the joy. You’re the first person I thought of! How about Xiao Han? Does he have anyone yet?”
“…”
“Yo! He has to work hard! Heh heh heh. From my estimation, I think I have to start preparing red eggs soon!”
“…”
“Okay, I will let you go. I have a show tomorrow morning and nothing going on in the afternoon. I will visit you. Wait for me and don’t go out.” Grandmother Qi informed her.
Song Yu said nothing. “…”
She just looked at the side. Deep in her heart, she was guessing Han Zhuoli’s grandmother was trying her best to avoid talking about it, but Grandmother Qi did not give her a chance.
After hanging around for a while more, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi left with the others.
When they were about to step out of the house and get in the car, they passed by Jian Yi. Jian Yi looked in a direction awkwardly, but Song Yu paid him no attention as if he was transparent. She held onto Qi Chengzhi’s arm and walked to the car. Taking a turn, she got in from the front passenger door.
Qi Chengzhi’s phone rang soon after they were on the road.
