Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He figured that Qi Chengyue might not want to sit with Huang Ziyue, understanding where her sudden request had come from. Qi Chengyue was afraid that he would be at a disadvantage in front of Huang Ziyue.
He could not help but shake his head and smile. The front seat obviously could not go to Huang Ziyue, so it had to be Qi Chengyue’s.
Out of habit, Huang Ziyue approached the front seat. Qi Chengyue, however, abruptly shoved her aside and claimed her place.
Huang Ziyue frowned. A lady from a noble family fighting for a seat like someone using public transportation– how inelegant.
Qi Chengyue did not care about her opinion. Once she got into the car, she immediately shut the door.
Disgruntled, Huang Ziyue looked up to see Cheng Dongge barely hiding a grin. She was stunned.
Cheng Dongge turned to her, wiped away his smile, and asked her coolly, “Aren’t you getting in?”
Huang Ziyue was in shock. She had been waiting for Cheng Dongge to open the door for her, but he only walked to the driver’s seat and climbed in.
Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside.
Song Yu watched the whole scene unfold in a daze. “Chengyue, she—”
“Cheng Dongge is a pretty good guy,” Qi Chengzhi interrupted calmly.
Song Yu remained speechless.
…
…
In the car, Qi Chengyue stared at the plush toys hanging off the car roof. They were as big as her palm and made the car feel warm and cozy.
Following Qi Chengyue’s gaze, Huang Ziyue murmured from the back seat, “I didn’t think you would keep all these toys.”
Cheng Dongge flicked his gaze upward and said, “I don’t notice them, so I forgot to take them down.”
Qi Chengyue raised her arms and plucked down all the toys. She tossed them into Huang Ziyue’s lap. “Since you’re here, you might as well take them all back. I can’t reach the ones at the back so please help yourself.”
Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth. Without moving, she began, “Dongge–”
Cheng Dongge turned to Qi Chengyue and said, “You can take the ones hanging on the rearview mirror, too.”
Only after did he turn to Huang Ziyao, asking, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” Huang Ziyue looked down, her expression cold. Every so often, she would glance at Qi Chengyue sitting in the front seat.
In the past, that seat had been hers.
Qi Chengyue gladly removed all the decorations hanging on the rearview mirror. Then, as per Cheng Dongge’s instructions, she took down every single thing that belonged to Huang Ziyue.
Suddenly, the car felt significantly emptier.
Qi Chengyue realized that, for the past three years, Huang Ziyue had fully integrated herself into every corner of Cheng Dongge’s life.
They arrived at Cheng Dongge’s house; one he had bought himself. The approximately a hundred and forty square meter house had three rooms and two halls. It was large enough to comfortably house two people.
As Qi Chengyue entered his home, she realized there were still hints of Huang Ziyue’s presence. For instance, many things around the house carried a feminine touch; the pillows on the sofa, the cartoon flower-themed cover on the tissue box… these were clearly the influences of Huang Ziyue.
Just as Huang Ziyue was about to enter the bedroom, Cheng Dongge’s deep, hoarse voice asked, “Where are you going?”
“The bedroom. My clothes and undergarments are all in there, aren’t they?” Whether intentionally or not, Huang Ziyue shot a glance at Qi Chengyue as she spoke.
Qi Chengyue took it as a demonstration, as if she was boasting, “I shared a room with this man, slept on his bed, and experienced an intimate three years with him.
“His undergarments, I’ve seen them all.”
Surprisingly, Cheng Dongge said, “I knew you would come back for your stuff someday, so I took the liberty of packing them for you. They’re in the guest room.”
Huang Ziyue was shocked. She stood frozen on the spot. It was all too much to endure. Her fingers curled tightly into fists. She had not expected Cheng Dongge to be so keen, as if their breakup had meant nothing to him at all.
They had been together for three years, and even discussed marriage. How was he so composed?
She felt like a beggar, whom he could not wait to kick out.
Could it be that after their breakup, he had packed her things in a hurry, impatient for the day he could rid her from his life?
Huang Ziyue realized that her assumption of Cheng Dongge as someone who would not be able to recover from a setback was wrong. There was not a hint of desolation on his face, and he was full of vigor and energy as usual. He was now much more distant toward her, and his expressions had become harder to decipher. Finally, she could experience the stress others felt when facing him. It was not something she had ever felt when they were dating.
The fact that he had uttered those words in front of Qi Chengyue, made it all the worse.
“This way.” Stoically, Cheng Dongge pointed toward the guest room and lead the way. Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth, but she followed. She then realized that Qi Chengyue was not following them; she had gone straight to the living room and sat down, observing the room in detail.
Once the guest room was opened, she saw her belongings all packed into cardboard boxes– two big boxes and a small one– stacked neatly against the wall.
“There are drinks in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever you like.” She listened to Cheng Dongge’s voice from behind her, thinking he still cared. When she turned around, however, she saw that he had his head angled toward the living room. He had been talking to Qi Chengyue.
Her heart ached. Even though she had been the one to dump him, she still wished he missed her. She wanted to have an irreplaceable spot in his heart.
Qi Chengyue went to the kitchen but only poured two glasses of water. She handed one to Cheng Dongge. They did not speak, but seemed like they had good chemistry, as if they were an old married couple.
Huang Ziyue answered her phone. “Alright.”
She moved the phone away a little and asked Cheng Dongge, “Umm… Someone is here to fetch me. Can I ask him to come up? I can’t move all these by myself.”
“Of course.” Cheng Dongge nodded.
Huang Ziyue said a few more words, then announced the house number.
Not long after she hung up, the doorbell rang.
Cheng Dongge opened the door. Qi Chengyue heard them greet each other at the door. The other man even addressed him as “Mr. Cheng”.
How courteous.
Qi Chengyue raised an eyebrow. If this man was Huang Ziyue’s new boyfriend, then his status was not high either!
The man followed behind Cheng Dongge. He was quite young and wearing formal clothing, but they were obviously not haute couture.
The man’s face was jejune and did not display the pride nor arrogance typical of those from a high social circle. Qi Chengyue was puzzled. Abruptly, the man cried in surprise, “Miss Qi!”
“You know me?” Qi Chengyue asked, perplexed.
The man gave a polite smile and said, “I’m Young Master Gao’s chauffeur, Xian Zhang.”
“Young Master Gao?” Qi Chengyue frowned. She did not know any ‘Young Master Gao’. She thought back on the people she knew who had the surname Gao. She blinked. “Gao Jingqiu?”
“Yes.” Xiao Zhang nodded.
“Turns out Miss Huang is Gao Jingqiu’s girlfriend– your Young Master Gao seems to have changed his taste again!” Qi Chengyue gave a spurious smile. “Going after Cinderellas of humble births; does he intend to play a prince now?”
Gao Jingqiu was a notorious playboy. His background was acceptable and his family was of average social status, but he was no match for Li Zhouan. Yet, he changed girlfriends every other day– from actors to young models, all of whom lasted not more than two months.
Awkwardly, Xiao Zhang glanced at the antagonized Huang Ziyue from his peripherals. At last, he laughed, not refuting her barb.
The truth was, Gao Jingqiu had said during a friends’ gathering that his relationship with Huang Ziyue was just for fun. However, Huang Ziyue was taking it seriously.
“Why didn’t Gao Jingqiu come up?” Qi Chengyue asked.
“Young Master Gao has matters to attend to tonight, so he didn’t come,” Xiao Zheng replied awkwardly.
“Oh, how generous of Gao Jingqiu. His girlfriend came to her ex-fiancé’s house, and he’s not afraid something might happen?” Qi Chengyue asked, her gaze flitting to Huang Ziyue mockingly.
Xiao Zhang looked down, not knowing what to reply.
Qi Chengyue sneered. “What matter could he be attending to? Isn’t he just at the clubhouse with those friends of his? They’re never up to any good there.”
Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth. Her face was flushed. Qi Chengyue was purposely humiliating her in front of Cheng Dongge.
Discreetly, she stole a glance at Cheng Dongge, but he paid her no notice. Instead, he faced Qi Chengyue and raised an eyebrow.
Seeing that Cheng Dongge identified her intentions, Qi Chengyue pouted and fell silent.
The two exchanged glances. Qi Chengyue was alarmed by Cheng Dongge’s reaction as if she was afraid of him.
With a single glance, Qi Chengyue stopped talking.
Even though Cheng Dongge appeared to be helping her, Huang Ziyue felt that they were in their own world; a world she could no longer enter.
“Miss Huang, where are your things?” Xiao Zhang pulled Huang Ziyue’s thoughts back to the matter at hand.
“In there.” Huang Ziyue pointed at the guest room behind her.
Xiao Zhang entered the room. He picked up one box while Huang Ziyue carried the small one. Cheng Dongge reached for the remaining box.
Seeing this, Xiao Zhang frantically protested, “Mr. Cheng, this isn’t right. Let me take those myself.”
“You can’t carry this in one go. You’ll have to come up again. That’d be a waste of time,” Cheng Dongge pointed out calmly. Before Xiao Zhang could refuse, he had already picked up the box.
His words stung in Huang Ziyue’s ears. It felt like he was impatient for her to go.
The three of them stepped into the elevator, Qi Chengyue following them down.
After depositing the boxes into the trunk, Huang Ziyue turned to look at Cheng Dongge. Even though she had left him to lead a better life with Gao Jingqiu, their time together still formed the best years of her life.
She thought about her time in university, chasing after him. The moment when he had finally accepted her, she had been inundated with bliss.
Truthfully, Cheng Dongge had always been the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, what he could give her was too little.
Once she entered the car, she would completely leave Cheng Dongge’s life.
“Dongge, I hope you can find your own happiness in the future,” Huang Ziyue said softly.
Cheng Dongge nodded and turned around. Xiao Zhang had already opened the door for her.
Huang Ziyue entered the car. Qi Chengyue heard Cheng Dongge whispered, “I hope what you’ve found is happiness.”
Qi Chengyue looked up but Cheng Dongge had already wiped away his expression. He turned to her and said, “Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
Cheng Dongge raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t you ask me to send you home?”
Qi Chengyue dusted her hands on her clothes. “That was just an excuse. You can think of it as me meddling in your business. I was afraid she would take advantage of you. After all, she is your ex-fiancée, and you are a good person. I didn’t want you to be on the losing end.”
Suddenly, she recalled the consequences that followed the first time she had meddled in his life. She looked at him anxiously. “You won’t blame me for meddling again, will you?”
Cheng Dongge raised his eyebrows again.
She took two steps back. Feeling guilty, she shook her head and said, “Nevermind. You don’t have to send me home. I’ll manage.”
Qi Chengyue turned around. Cheng Dongge lived in a bustling city, so it was easy to get a cab.
However, just as she had taken a step out, he grabbed ahold of her arm.
Qi Chengyue was spun around. In heels, she staggered and fell straight into his arms. Her forehead knocked against a button on his suit.
“Ouch!” Qi Chengyue cried. He steadied her, gripping both her arms. Her forehead was red from the impact. The button even left a mark.
Cheng Dongge let go of one arm and rubbed her forehead. “I never said I blamed you. Why are you in such a hurry to run?”
He looked down and frowned. Focused on rubbing her forehead, he had forgotten about the distance between them.
Qi Chengyue was in a lot of pain at first, but the moment his fingers touched her skin, a tingling sensation buzzed through her.
The electric feeling surged from her forehead to her scalp, then ears. Even her cheeks began to numb.
Her breathing fell out of rhythm. She looked down, too afraid to look at him. Suddenly, she felt his breath brush across her forehead. Astonished, she looked up, and the first thing she saw was the firm line of his lips. She held her head up higher and almost immediately met his deep gaze. Sitting above those eyes were his full, black eyebrows. They were slightly furrowed, and she wondered what could have upset him.
Noticing her gaze, he shifted his from her forehead to her eyes. Their eyes locked as if there was a force pulling them together. Neither could bring themselves to look away.
His eyes were dark and deep. They were unwavering as usual– steady, just like him, giving others peace of mind.
Qi Chengyue’s lips parted slightly. Her face was red hot.
Cheng Dongge’s gaze was still fixed on her face. After a while, he finally snapped awake. Embarrassed, he looked away. His fair face was stained a light pink.
He quickly removed his hand. The feeling of her fine and smooth skin lingered on his fingers.
He glanced at his watch and cleared his throat. “Look at the time. We’ll eat first, then I’ll send you home.”
As he said that, the hand still holding her arm slid down instinctively. Grasping her hand, he led her toward his Touareg.
…
…
Xiao Zhang took a quick look at Huang Ziyue sitting in the backseat through the rearview mirror. She was looking out the window with a melancholic expression.
“Miss Huang, I didn’t think your ex-boyfriend would be Mr. Cheng,” Xiao Zhang confessed. When he had opened the door and seen Cheng Dongge standing before him, he had been completely flabbergasted.
Huang Ziyue turned her head. Back when they were at Cheng Dongge’s house, she had already begun wondering, so she probed forthrightly, “It seems like you respect him a lot.”
Xian Zhang chuckled and said, “Don’t think of Mr. Cheng as a mere assistant to Young Master Cheng. He is heavily relied on by Young Master Cheng. When Young Master Cheng sees him, he greets him courteously. Not even Young Master Cheng dares to give him the cold shoulder. In fact, anyone not from The Great Eight Families doesn’t dare to offend him. I hear that Young Master Cheng has intentions of promoting him to the higher levels of Qilin. But a low-status guy like me wouldn’t know the details of such matters.”
Huang Ziyue’s eyes widened as her hands tightened on her bag. “Even so, he’s still working under others. The company isn’t his. Any day they decide to fire him, he’s done for.”
“No one would fire a man as talented as Mr. Cheng so flippantly. Even if he doesn’t work at Qilin, whichever company he goes to, he could easily secure a position higher than a general manager.” Xiao Zhang glanced at Huang Ziyue and said, “Miss Huang, the reason I’m telling you this is because I think you’re a good person. Young Master Gao may have his family and his own company, and like he has nothing to worry about, but, in reality, whatever he does, it’s all according to his family’s orders. Even marriage. Whomever his family wants him to marry, he will not protest because, without his family’s support, he’s ordinary. What lady of proper self-respect would want him?
“On the other hand, although Mr. Cheng was born into an ordinary family, with his position in Qilin, any family would gladly marry their daughter off to him. Additionally, even if his girlfriend is an ordinary person, his family wouldn’t judge.” Xiao Zhang turned the car around a corner, then continued, “Actually, Young Master Cheng had planned to introduce his sister to Mr. Cheng, but then Mr. Cheng revealed that he had a girlfriend. Back then, he must have been talking about you.
“Now that he’s single again, I bet that family would do whatever it takes to introduce a lady from their family to him.”
“He… He’s actually such an amazing man…” Huang Ziyue murmured. Cheng Dongge had rarely spoken to her about work.
Till this day, all she had known was that he was extremely busy, and that Qi Chengzhi dumped all kinds of work onto him. All those years, he had been Qi Chengzhi’s assistant. Even though his salary had been increasing steadily, she had not thought he had a bright future ahead of him. She thought that he would be frivolous assistant till the day he died.
Even so, his salary was fixed. That was nothing compared to Gao Jingqiu’s earnings from his entire company.
Besides, it was too late for regrets.
She knew Gao Jingqiu was a playboy, but he treated her well at the start, so she had decided to break up with Cheng Dongge.
Not long after the breakup, however, Gao Jingqiu slowly stopped taking her out. He no longer stayed by her side like he used to.
Nowadays, Gao Jingqiu would sometimes return smelling strongly of perfume, but it was too late for regrets. Seeing Cheng Dongge’s personality, he would never get back together with her. All she could do now was hold on to Gao Jingqiu as tight as she could.
Huang Ziyue looked down. When she thought of Cheng Dongge, her eyes grew damp.
…
…
Qi Chengyue blinked several times. She stared blankly at her hand, which Cheng Dongge had grabbed so firmly. After opening the car door and helping her in, his hand slipped from hers.
