Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The makeup artist trailed behind and said, “Sir, if you’re shooting like this, the effect will be vastly different from your wife. The final picture won’t look nice!”
“If it’s not going to look nice, why would I find Zhao Shinian?” Qi Chengzhi turned around and glanced at the make-up artist. His stern glare frightened her so badly that she could not move.
Then, Qi Chengzhi went straight to the shooting area and sat on the couch.
The makeup artist pouted. ‘Rich people are so capricious,’ she thought.
Song Yu did not let the makeup artist put too much makeup on her. She was going for that natural look.
Since it was only a photoshoot, her footwear would not be visible under the dress. Song Yu wanted her body proportion to stand out in the wedding dress but instead of high heels, she chose to wear wedges for comfort.
When she came out, Qi Chengzhi was scrolling his phone and reading through a few of his investments. Song Yu’s footsteps were not very loud—mostly drowned out by the voices of the crew.
However, Qi Chengzhi could feel her presence. He raised his head and saw Song Yu holding the long train of her dress. The crew members were worried she would trip and lent a hand.
The entire wedding gown was covered in delicate lace. The neckline was not too revealing. It was skillfully sewn and hugged her shoulders perfectly. The curve extended from one side of the shoulder to the other, forming the boat neckline. The sleeves were tailored long and they reached her wrists. The lace material adhered to her arm, and her fair skin was vaguely visible through the patterns.
The wedding dress was seamless, following the curve of her body up to her waist. There was a black pearl waist chain. At the clasp of the chain, a long string of black pearls descended the side of her thigh. The jewelry swayed tantalizingly as she walked.
The train started from her waist and billowed out behind her.
Although lace was all you could see from the front, there was a white top underneath. Hence, it was not at all revealing and appeared very proper.
Qi Chengzhi’s throat became dry seeing her in the wedding dress. He was even more touched than when he collected their marriage certificate. She was truly marrying him.
There was something lacking with having just the marriage certificate.
Song Yu looked exceptionally attractive in the wedding dress. She did not put any makeup on her shoulders, yet the wedding dress did not overshadow her fair skin.
She stood prim and proper, looking at him. Qi Chengzhi’s eyes were fixated on her. He stood up slowly but did not move—it was as if his legs had grown roots. He only stared at Song Yu.
The pasty little girl from his past was now in a wedding dress, standing there, waiting for him. Qi Chengzhi was filled with an indescribable sense of happiness. The warmth seeped out from his chest to his limbs.
He approached her slowly.
Song Yu watched his slender form approach. Dressed in the groom’s suit, Qi Chengzhi was dashing as ever. He was gorgeous to the point of mesmerizing—you could not look away from him.
Her dark eyes focused on him in his well-trimmed suit. She felt a sense of pride in her chest. Her abdomen clenched involuntarily.
Qi Chengzhi stopped in front of her, his gaze never leaving her. It made her a bit shy. A faint blush was working its way up her face and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Her hands tugged at her dress nervously. A touch on the back of her hand made her stop. She looked over and saw his elegant hand touching the back of her hand. The knobs in his fingers moved as he played with her pinkie. The flitting touches gave her goosebumps.
His actions made it seem like he was shy, although Song Yu knew ‘shy’ was not a suitable description of Qi Chengzhi.
His fingers managed to push beneath her pinkie as his thumb continued to massage the back of her hand. His hand slowly enveloped hers.
Qi Chengzhi said nothing. He just stared at her intently, making her breathing go haywire.
She looked down in embarrassment. She was afraid that he would kiss her regardless of all the people surrounding them.
At the sound of the photographer’s assistant greeting the photographer, Song Yu felt his stare decreased in intensity.
Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arm around her waist to lead her. Suddenly, he noticed something odd.
With a startled look, he took half a step back to study Song Yu’s back. He squinted.
The wedding dress only covered her front!
He was too busy to check the dress when it was delivered. This was his first time seeing it.
He thought of his time in France. He could not believe that the designer actually made the dress as discussed.
The back was all lace and lace only. There was no sheer material covering her back. If someone were to touch her back, they would be in direct contact with her smooth skin.
Moreover, the lace parted in the center of her back. Although the parting was not wide, one could clearly see the curve of her spine.
There was a long ribbon tied into a bow at the back of her neck. The ribbon draped across her back to her waist and swayed, occasionally blocking the view of her exposed back.
Qi Chengzhi was consoled by the fact that the bridal veil was very long. On the day of the wedding, it would cover her back. Today would be an exception.
“What’s wrong?” Song Yu asked after realizing Qi Chengzhi had stopped.
Qi Chengzhi’s face remained stony. He placed his palm on the small of her back in hopes of covering whatever he could. He said coolly, “Nothing.”
Before the start of the shoot, the photographer exchanged greetings with them in a pleasant manner.
He was no doubt a professional photographer who knew how to influence the room. Song Yu was a bit uncomfortable with posing affectionately with Qi Chengzhi in front of so many people, but she relaxed after hearing some humorous stories from the photographer.
The photographer took the photos efficiently. They were not required to hold any pose for too long. Some small moments between them were also captured by the photographer.
Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi also changed into different costumes for the shoot. Qi Chengzhi was worried that Song Yu would get tired, so they ended as soon as possible. Even then, an entire morning had passed.
Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi changed back into their clothes and sat in front of the computer for photo selection.
All the photos looked good to Qi Chengzhi so he wanted them all. He picked two of his favorites to be printed in a large format for the living room and their bedroom. Some of the photos were made into personalized items to serve as decorations for the house while the remaining were printed as a photobook. Qi Chengzhi also left his personal email address as he wanted an electronic copy of the photos once they finished processing them.
Other than adding some background effects, there was not much that required editing. Hence, the processing was swift.
A week later, the photos arrived in a giant package at Viewpark Residence on a Saturday morning.
Qi Chengzhi rolled up his sleeves and climbed up the ladder. He took it upon himself to drill the holes and hammered the nails for the enlarged photos. Song Yu helped with the positioning. “Angle it a bit to the left. Higher. Just a tiny bit lower.”
Once the living room was settled, they moved on to the bedroom. Then, they decorated the room with the personalized items. At last, with everything up, they stood in the middle of the bedroom with a satisfied grin. The bedroom looked more like a wedding room now.
Song Yu surveyed the bedroom. On the bedside table, there was a photo of them in their wedding attire. On the small, round table, there were two mugs, one printed with Qi Chengzhi’s photo while the other had hers. When the two mugs were placed together, they formed the complete wedding photo.
The one with Qi Chengzhi’s photo was hers and vice versa.
The mugs were set down by Qi Chengzhi. He had spent a few minutes of total focus, adjusting the mugs with a frown on his face. Only when the mugs were tightly connected was he satisfied.
On the wall above the bed was the scaled-up wedding photo. Two cushion pillows were on the bed, one with Song Yu’s side profile, the other with Qi Chengzhi’s. When pressed together, it formed a picture of them kissing.
These two pillows were also placed by Qi Chengzhi. He had fussed over the position of the pillows for the longest time.
Once everything was done, Qi Chengzhi put his hands in his pockets and studied the room in silence.
“…” Song Yu kept her mouth shut. The number of wedding photos in the room was a bit overboard in her opinion.
…
…
At night, Yan Beicheng and the others came over. Each of them had volunteered their cars for the upcoming wedding on Saturday. Therefore, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had invited them over for dinner, along with a discussion the agenda on their big day.
Qi Chengzhi selected Qi Chengji to be his best man. Even though Qi Chenglin was not married, he had a son who was already in preschool. It would be inappropriate.
The maid of honor was Ruan Danchen because Qi Chengyue was already married.
The flower girl and boy were naturally Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan. These two kids were meant for the role.
Song Yu had spoken to Ruan Danchen and Qi Chengyue, mentioning that she personally had little experience with weddings.
Yan Beicheng noticed the wedding photo in the living room. That soulful and loving expression from Qi Chengzhi still made him uncomfortable.
Qi Chengzhi had been a bachelor for the longest time, and suddenly, he became the perfect husband. Yan Beicheng felt the heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders.
At the dining table, they ate while discussing the wedding day. Listening to the discussion, Song Yu felt the nervousness of planning a wedding.
“Have you gotten your bridesmaids?” Yan Beicheng asked.
“Yes. Ruan Danchen will be my maid of honor. I also got Wei Ran and Chengyue. Wei Ran managed to get Lu Nanxi to help,” Song Yu answered.
Yan Beicheng snickered. “Only four of you? That’s great. They won’t be able to stop us.”
“Wei Ran would never trouble you guys, and Chengyue is Chengzhi’s cousin after all, she’ll be lenient. Danchen isn’t too familiar with you guys, so she probably won’t stir up too much commotion. With Lu Nanxi… Well, she has two kids already, so I don’t think she’ll be as mischievous as before. Rest assured, you guys won’t have much to worry about,” Song Yu explained.
“Oh? Have you actually thought of all this before finding your bridesmaids? You’re too soft on your husband, really.” Yan Beicheng cocked an eyebrow at her.
Song Yu blushed. Her intentions were uncovered by Yan Beicheng. She did not want to trouble Qi Chengzhi too much on the wedding day. Hence, she had already spoken to her bridesmaids. She even got Wei Ran to pass the message on to Lu Nanxi who was currently not in B City.
For Qi Chengzhi’s sake, she had to suffer some teasing from Ruan Danchen and Qi Chengyue.
Song Yu glared at Yan Beicheng but swiftly changed her expression into a sweet smile when Qi Chengzhi looked over.
“I’m full. You guys carry on,” Song Yu said and left the dining room flustered. She walked into the living room and stared up at the wedding photo hanging on the wall. A gentle smile appeared on her face.
In the photo, the tall and stoic Qi Chengzhi with his stern face was looking at her with such tenderness and focus. From that look, she could see the Qi Chengzhi from the past, silently standing behind her all this while.
…
…
Song Yu’s leave started on Monday. As the wedding day approached, there were a lot of tasks that required her attention, unlike her previous engagement.
Qi Chengzhi was also worried that her pregnant body would not be able to tolerate the honeymoon trip so he decided to postpone it after the baby was delivered. Hence, Song Yu did not have to take additional leave.
This was a good time for her to rest.
In the afternoon, Chang Lai picked her up to Qilin to meet with Qi Chengzhi.
Song Yu had just entered Qi Chengzhi’s office when Zhou Mingyan appeared at Qilin’s main entrance.
Zhou Mingyan was fuming. Qi Chengyue was divorcing Jian Yi. She even barred the credit card that Zhou Mingyan was using.
That woman was initially so infatuated with Jian Yi. She had ingratiated herself to Zhou Mingyan for Jian Yi’s sake, and now, she wanted a divorce. Where was her commitment to her marriage?
It did not stop there. She even allowed her family to fire Jian Yi. This was a total abuse of power for personal revenge.
Jian Yi was a talented man. On what grounds had the company fired him, other than his dissolving marriage with Qi Chengyue? This was evidently blurring the lines between work and personal life.
Moreover, she even informed the court that there would be no distribution of assets from the divorce. She wanted a clean split which was ridiculously cruel.
While Qi Chengyue was a lady from wealth and prestige, it did not give her the right to bully Jian Yi!
Zhou Mingyan gritted her teeth and stomped past Qilin’s main door.
Qi Chengyue was surprised when her secretary informed her about Zhou Mingyan. She was waiting for her in the first-floor lobby. Qi Chengyue did not know what the woman wanted but she pulled up her defenses. Zhou Mingyan’s presence could mean nothing good.
Without a word, Qi Chengyue arrived at the first-floor lobby. She saw Zhou Mingyan standing near the main entrance. The woman had no intentions to walk over so, with a frown, Qi Chengyue went to her.
It was lunchtime and groups of employees were heading out for their break, crowding the lobby.
“Do you have any business?” Qi Chengyue walked up to Zhou Mingyan. Zhou Mingyan stood only a few steps away from the main door and groups of employees passed them by.
Piak!
Zhou Mingyan had slapped Qi Chengyue inside the Qi family company without saying a word. Qi Chengyue was stunned.
Her cheek stung as if it was on fire. She had not anticipated the hard slap by Zhou Mingyan. She felt a tightness in her neck when it twisted from the force of the slap.
“What’s wrong with you?” The slap had hurt and Qi Chengyue’s eyes watered, but she steeled herself. She did not want to cry and appear weak in front of Zhou Mingyan.
“What’s wrong with me? I’m here to seek justice for my son! You’re shameless! Just because you’re the Qi family’s princess doesn’t mean you can bully my son. Jian Yi did nothing wrong, but you fired him out of spite!” Zhou Mingyan held onto Qi Chengyue’s arm as she shrieked.
“Zhou Mingyan, you’re crazy! Let go of me! You know what your son has done. You’re all smiles and laughs with that woman who tore our marriage apart. Shopping with her while spending my money. You dare come to face me and say you want justice for Jian Yi? Nothing he has ever done was justified.” Qi Chengyue growled angrily as she tried to escape Zhou Mingyan’s grip.
The security guards promptly came to drag Zhou Mingyan away.
The scene only lasted a moment but a bunch of reporters had appeared out of nowhere. They rushed into the company and caused a block at the main door. Qilin employees had trouble getting into and out of the building.
The reporters were taking photos and videos. The security guards had to tame the reporters and could not help Qi Chengyue.
The guards were no match for a huge crowd of reporters. Seeing this, the employees stepped up and helped them keep the reporters at bay.
“Don’t speak of Jian Yi. How about those disgusting things you did?” Zhou Mingyan said in a high-pitched voice. “You cheated on my son and expect him to be loyal to you?” Zhou Mingyan pulled out a stack of photos from her shirt.
“Reporters, ladies, and gentlemen, look at what she’s done! Married, and still flirting with guys. You heartless woman, how could you do this to Jian Yi?! And you dare accuse him when you’re the one at fault. Why should he be sorry? Why should he go quietly? You evil woman!” Zhou Mingyan had one hand on Qi Chengyue and another waving the photos around.
Zhou Mingyan was strong from the years of doing housework. Qi Chengyue was no match for her. Her arm hurt from Zhou Mingyan’s tight grip but she could not shake it away.
“Zhou Mingyan, you’re talking nonsense! Let go of me!” Qi Chengyue shouted angrily. Being accused was one thing, but with the reporters around, Qi Chengyue was beginning to panic.
“Nonsense? You’re saying I’m lying? I have evidence!” Zhou Mingyan threw the stack of photos in Qi Chengyue’s face. “You shameless, lying adulterer! You’re the one who betrayed Jian Yi, and now you want to accuse him of cheating!”
The photos hit Qi Chengyue’s face and scattered all over the floor. Some of them landed facing up. The reporters at the door took this chance and stretched their arms beyond the barricade. They angled their cameras to snap photos of the floor.
The sharp eye of one reporter made out the details of the photos. “Isn’t that Qi Chengzhi’s special assistant, Cheng Dongge?”
The employees who were going to restrain Zhou Mingyan stopped and turned to look at the photos.
The photos were all of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge. There was one with them at the front door of Dynasty. Cheng Dongge was opening the car door for Qi Chengyue to get in.
If Song Yu was in the frame, the captured scene would obviously be the time Guan Xiaolin had called Qi Chengyue out for a meet to reveal that she was pregnant.
Song Yu was present then, yet none of the photos had her. All the photos were of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge.
There were even photos of Cheng Dongge dropping Qi Chengyue off at the Qi family manor. One particular shot had Cheng Dongge opening the car door for Qi Chengyue with her head down as if being coy.
However, the truth was as Cheng Dongge was dropping Qi Chengyue off, and the whole Qi family was waiting for her inside the manor.
