Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“We’re so sorry for letting you wait for us. It’s already so late and you guys haven’t had dinner,” Song Yu said smilingly.
“No worries, we ate some snacks during tea time. We’re not that hungry. Furthermore, we usually have dinner around six to seven o’clock. It’s not too late yet.” Sun Shaoyun let them in hurriedly and went back to the kitchen to cook. Cheng Zhaohui brought out the nuts and fruit platter that they had prepared earlier.
“Uncle, don’t tire yourself.” Song Yu asked, “How’s your body now?”
“I’m feeling much better now,” said Cheng Zhaohui. “I can also go to the market to buy groceries every day. It’s not a problem at all.”
Sun Shaoyun took some time out while waiting for the vegetables to be cooked. She wiped both her hands on the apron and said, “All these are just normal home dishes, I hope you guys won’t mind.”
“Not at all, we’re already bothering you by coming over,” Qi Chengzhi said with a clear voice.
However, his words made Sun Shaoyun very nervous. “No, no hassle at all. I’m so glad that you guys can come visit. Oh right, I know that Song Yu’s pregnant, that’s why all the dishes are non-spicy. Other than the food that pregnant ladies have to avoid, is there anything you can’t eat, Song Yu?”
“No, I’m okay with everything else,” Song Yu said.
Sun Shaoyun stopped worrying and went back to the kitchen. Qi Chengyue wanted to stand up and help but got chased back by Sun Shaoyun. She told her to sit down and drink tea, but not to eat too much as dinner was going to start soon.
During dinner, Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui were still a little nervous in front of Qi Chengyue. Nevertheless, Song Yu and Qi Chengyue were rather good at breaking the ice and warming up the whole conversation.
Qi Chengzhi also did not reserve his care and attention for Song Yu in front of Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui. He still took care of Song Yu very well.
“You don’t know that when brother called me today and asked me to come to Li City, he had to say that Dongge missed me so much that he couldn’t stand it anymore.” Qi Chengyue continued after drinking a mouthful of soup, “I was thinking, if he really missed me, why didn’t he just call me? Why must it be conveyed through my brother? But after my brother told me to come with you, I knew that he was the one who missed you and only used both of us as an excuse.”
Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui glanced at Qi Chengzhi in surprise but they did not let their gaze linger for too long.
They did not expect him to be so gentle and affectionate toward his wife since he had a rather fierce mien.
Actually, when Cheng Dongge called and said that he might be late for dinner and that he was going to bring along Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, Sun Shaoyun was happy and nervous at the same time. She asked him if there was anything she could not eat. She thought that since Song Yu was pregnant, she should avoid spicy food.
Qi Chengzhi was just beside Cheng Dongge and overheard his conversation with Sun Shaoyun. He did not hold back and said that Song Yu could not eat fish right now—she would vomit just by smelling it.
While Qi Chengyue was busy teasing Qi Chengzhi, he was refilling Song Yu’s water. Only then did Sun Shaoyun notice that Song Yu had not moved her arms this whole time. All the food on her plate was taken by Qi Chengzhi.
Qi Chengzhi glanced at Qi Chengyue and arched his eyebrow. He said with a mellow voice, “You’re reverting back to your original personality. You gave up putting on a facade as a demure, shy girl?”
Qi Chengyue blushed and looked at Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui embarrassedly. Sun Shaoyun was laughing happily. She did not mind at all and thought that it would be nice to have a lively daughter-in-law.
“You don’t say.” Qi Chengyue scrunched her nose. “I don’t know who spread the rumor in the company that I got pregnant. If I’m so demure and shy, there would be no hope in stopping the rumor.”
“…” Cheng Dongge said blandly, “Before this, your brother told me to ask about baby stores.”
“…” Qi Chengyue stared at Qi Chengzhi. “Brother, you’re not right this time. Can’t you go ask yourself?”
Qi Chengzhi glanced at her while he tightened his necktie and straightened his back. “This would affect my image in the company.”
“…” Sun Shaoyun was speechless.
They had never imagined Qi Chengyue’s brother to be such a shameless man.
A while later, once the conversation started flowing, Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui stopped being so nervous. Their fear of Qi Chengzhi slowly dissipated once they discovered how thick-skinned he could be.
After dinner, they sat for a moment before leaving. All of them went back to the hotel since Cheng Dongge had to follow Qi Chengzhi to the hotel for a meeting and monitor the construction site the next morning.
…
…
The next morning, many celebrities came to walk the red carpet for their promotional event. However, since this event was held outdoors, the weather in Li City was far too hot, therefore Qi Chengzhi did not allow Song Yu to attend the event and told her to rest in the hotel. Qi Chengyue did not want to go as well, so she accompanied Song Yu and stayed in the hotel to watch the televised live broadcast.
“Young Master Cheng.” Shen Man walked over, dressed in a luxurious, formal long dress with her hair tied up into a delicate bun. She stood in front of Qi Chengzhi and smiled. “Where’s your wife? Isn’t she here with you?”
Qi Chengzhi took a glance and said in a disinterested tone, “I’m afraid that she would get sick under the scorching sun, so I let her rest in the hotel.”
Shen Man recalled the reaction when Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu yesterday. She let out a stifled laugh and said with admiration, “Young Master Cheng, you treat your wife with such tender care, she must be very blissful. I really admire her.”
Qi Chengzhi looked at her as if he had something in mind. He squinted his deep-set eyes slightly and said blandly, “Everyone has their own fate. When you stop chasing after it, you might meet your loved one at the most unexpected circumstances. Their status and assets, no matter good or bad, all of these are merely appendages of the relationship. If you desire all these appendages, you might get nothing in the end.”
Shen Man was stunned, her smile became a little awkward. Qi Chengzhi already said very straightforwardly. It was obvious that he was referring to her, telling her not to waste effort on him, and that he was aware of her intentions.
Qi Chengzhi glanced at her briefly before he turned and left.
Shen Man stared at Qi Chengzhi’s well-built back while she sighed internally. Such a great man, yet he was not hers. She regretted that she did not get to meet him when he was still single, or else, she would not let him go without a fight.
When she looked at Qi Chengzhi again, she just felt the vast distance between them.
“Sister Shen, it’s time for rehearsal,” Shen Man’s assistant ran over to call her.
Shen Man nodded. On the way, she met Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge who were preparing as well. She overheard Qi Chengzhi telling Cheng Dongge, “Next time, if we’re looking for a host or anybody else to collaborate, find someone more honest.”
Shen Man’s assistant could not help but steal a glance at Shen Man, just to see her hasten her footsteps and leave with a reddened, flushed face.
…
…
Qi Chengyue ordered a fruit platter from room service and opened bags of snacks from the cabinet including chips and chocolate. Song Yu could not eat the snacks except the fruits.
They switched on the television and saw the celebrities hired to promote the groundbreaking ceremony. When the camera switched to Shen Man, Qi Chengyue bit on a piece of chip and said, “I see that this Shen Man is quite interested in brother. Did you ask him yesterday?”
“Ask about what?” Song Yu held her cup up to drink, “Since Chengzhi didn’t even look at Shen Man, it’s pointless even if she tries her best. Chengzhi can’t control what Shen Man thinks. After the event, they’ll go separate ways. Why should I bother myself with it?’
“Looks like my brother treat you so well that you let your guard down,” Qi Chengyue said laughingly. She did not pay much attention to Shen Man and turned her focus to the celebrities that she liked.
In the afternoon, Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge returned and took a rest. Qi Chengyue hired a makeup artist to glam up Song Yu and herself. According to Qi Chengyue, both of them should not look bad in comparison to the other celebrities, especially Shen Man.
The evening banquet was held right at the hotel they were staying, thus making it very convenient for them.
Qi Chengzhi attended together with Song Yu. He wished that he introduce Song Yu as his wife to everyone. He worried that Song Yu would be exhausted, so he brought her to their seat very early in and did not bother anyone else besides taking care of her.
At times, there were people coming over to greet him, but he never once walked around to entertain them.
Shen Man was busy chatting away and taking selfies with her friends. She did not bother Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi further, it seemed as if she had learned her lesson.
“Are you tired?” Qi Chengzhi specially ordered a bowl of bird’s nest for Song Yu.
Song Yu shook her head. “We didn’t even stand for too long before you brought me to sit down. How would I be tired? I’m just hoping that people won’t comment that I’m arrogant and snobbish.”
They all know that you’re pregnant,” Qi Chengzhi said with a gentle smile.
Song Yu thought, ‘It’s all because you kept introducing me as, “Song Yu, my wife,” whenever people come up to greet you.’
Before others could ask, he would add on, “She’s pregnant.”
Right after saying that, he just stood there proudly to wait for others to congratulate him.
Just because Qi Chengzhi stayed beside Song Yu to keep her company, she focused only on him and did not really pay much attention to the guests around. All of them were looking at them with admiration.
Everbody saw how Qi Chengzhi cherished and took care of Song Yu. They were amazed by the way Qi Chengzhi transformed in front of Song Yu, which was extremely different from his usual image.
In the end, Qi Chengzhi was still worried that Song Yu would feel too tired and left earlier to bring her back to the room.
He threw his jacket onto the sofa casually. He used his slender fingers to loosen his tie and took it off his neck before folding up his sleeves to his elbow. This series of actions looked so manly in Song Yu’s eyes, making her heart throbbed uncontrollably and her face blushed red.
Song Yu sat beside the bed and stared at Qi Chengzhi while he walked over towards her. She became flustered, her breathing fluctuated between hasty short breaths and long pauses. When Qi Chengzhi leaned towards her, she saw the taut muscles on his shoulders and arms stretching his shirt, making him look extraordinarily strong and sexy.
She was pinned down onto the bed with both hands on her side. When he closed in, she could smell the familiar fragrance and his breath from him. She felt her body flushing when she stared into his deep, jet-black eyes. His thin lips curled slightly into a gentle curve. Song Yu could not resist but swallowed and held her breath. Her heart was racing incredibly when she saw Qi Chengzhi’s charming face approaching her.
No matter how long she stared at him, even if it was for a lifetime, she would never be tired of him. Her heart fluttered every time she saw him.
Qi Chengzhi smiled and kissed her trembling lips, but he did not linger further and stood up suddenly. When Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu’s shocked and disappointed expression, he really wanted to pinch her face.
“I’ll prepare a hot bath for you to relax,” Qi Chengzhi held her delicate face with his elegant hands and pinch it gently before walking away towards the bathroom.
Song Yu heard the sound of water flowing in the bathroom. After a moment, Qi Chengzhi told Song Yu to come in.
However, Qi Chengzhi showed no intention to leave the bathroom. Song Yu felt quite awkward, but Qi Chengzhi said in a raspy voice, “Let me give you a massage.”
“…” Song Yu did not know how to answer.
She lowered her head to peep at her belly and said, “I’ll wash myself, you can leave first.”
Previously, her baby bump was not that pronounced and she was totally comfortable with it, but recently, her belly was getting more pronounced. When they were in bed at night, she would always request Qi Chengzhi to off the lights before they do the deed.
In the beginning, Qi Chengzhi followed her requests obediently, but when she was so immersed and could not bother about anything else around her, he would secretly on the lights again.
Nevertheless, she was not really in a clear state of mind in those situations, but she was right awake now. She did not want Qi Chengzhi to see her current figure.
Especially after attending the banquet today, all those celebrities had such amazing body figures. Song Yu felt rather uneasy earlier on during the dinner but she did not say anything.
She was thinking about the contrast between those hot-bodied women and her ball-shaped figure. She was terrified that one day he would realize that he does not like the way she looks.
Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrows and glanced at her with an irresistible gaze, with a hint of slight tease before walking past her.
Song Yu was in a dilemma since she feared that he felt upset when she refused his kind offer for a massage and even got chased out. While she was still struggling inside, she noticed that Qi Chengzhi stopped before the bathroom door. He closed it shut and locked it.
Then, he turned around and walked back while he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his muscular chest and well-defined abs. He took off his shirt and threw it into the laundry basket before loosening his buckle.
Song Yu took a big gulp and asked, “What… are you doing?”
“Bathing,” Qi Chengzhi gave an ambiguous smile and raised his eyebrows, “If you’re not going to take off your clothes, I’ll help you with it soon.”
“…” Song Yu lowered her head and pondered for quite some time before turning around slowly to remove her clothes.
Only then she remembered that she was wearing a cocktail dress, the zipper was hidden on her back. She used to be able to extend her hand to her back and reach the zipper with ease, but since her belly grew tremendously, her actions became clumsier and she could not reach back no matter how hard she tried.
Right then, she felt him touching the zipper on her back. She could feel the warmth channelling from his fingers, his slightly rough fingertips brushed against her supple skin on her back, leaving red marks along the area.
It was as if Qi Chengzhi purposely unzip her at a painfully slow speed after sensing her trembles. His fingertips trailed along her skin right to the end of the zipper until it could not go any further and stopped at her lower back and touched there lightly.
Song Yu’s fluttering got worse. Qi Chengzhi then moved his hands from her back and glided to her shoulders to peel off the collar of the dress gently, revealing her beautiful, slender shoulders.
Even though she was pregnant, the only body part that she gained weight was on her belly. Her shoulders, arms, and legs were no different from before. They remained thin and slender.
The dress dropped to the side of her ankles. Song Yu covered her tummy awkwardly. Suddenly, she was embraced by him from the back. He placed his chin on her shoulders gently before turning to face the delicate side-view of her face. He gently inhaled and breathed in her gentle fragrance.
His warm breath tickled her neck and cheeks, making her feel ticklish and hot.
Song Yu lowered her head in embarrassment. Her entire body was flushed red. He placed his elegant palm onto her protruding tummy and rubbed it gently while he turned her around slowly to face the mirror.
Song Yu saw his tall figure behind embracing her whole-heartedly in his arms.
Even though her tummy was rather large, she still felt tiny within his embrace.
While Song Yu was still drowning in embarrassment, she heard Qi Chengzhi’s mellow voice, “You look beautiful.”
Song Yu said awkwardly in a soft voice, “Tonight’s banquet, aside from the celebrities, even the female employees from our company all have amazing figures.”
“But I only like you,” Qi Chengzhi said in a raspy voice while he closed in to kiss her cheeks and the corner of her mouth.
Song Yu’s face was burning. She felt his hand moving upwards to hold her bump, making her hot and weak. Then, he started to blow gently into her ear, causing her to feel even more flustered. “I heard that the islanders specially made films with pregnant ladies. I can’t understand back then, but now I know why. The feeling is much more intense.”
“…” Song Yu’s face was bright red. She stayed quiet for a moment before saying, “Shameless!”
Qi Chengzhi chuckled. That was when Song Yu felt his transformation behind her.
“Hurry up and go in, the water’s turning cold,” Qi Chengzhi urged. He led Song Yu gently towards the bathtub and test the water temperature. He helped Song Yu get seated after feeling that the temperature was just right. Then, he leaned her head back until it was out of the bathtub. He placed a basin at the bottom and helped Song Yu to wash her hair.
It might be that his fingers were so slender that it felt very comfortable. He massaged her scalp with his fingertips. He was so good at it that she could feel her tiredness dissipating slowly. His actions were no less than those from the salon.
Qi Chengzhi was very careful while he was washing her hair, as he was afraid that the foam would go into Song Yu’s eyes. He felt satisfied when he saw Song Yu enjoying herself with her eyes closed.
“When did you learn how to wash hair?” Song Yu’s eyes remained closed. She enjoyed so much that her voice turned sluggish.
“I didn’t. I experienced a few times when I went to have my hair washed,” Qi Chengzhi said. Song Yu could sense a hint of smugness in his tone as if he was waiting to be praised that he was able to perform so well even though he never learned it before.
Song Yu just laughed and did not say anything.
Qi Chengzhi washed away the remaining shampoo off Song Yu’s hair, and used a band to tie her hair into a bun to prevent it from falling into the water.
Then, he sat into the tub across Song Yu. He took her legs and massaged her sole.
Song Yu felt rather embarrassed but he was not deterred by it.
“Are you planning to do the whole package?” Song Yu asked laughingly. She could feel the swelling slowly going away under his massage.
Qi Chengzhi curled one side of his mouth and gave an ambiguous smile, like a rascal. His pair of eyes looked downwards schemingly, making Song Yu feel a gush of warmness below her tummy.
“Uhm, I’ll massage there later,” he said in a raspy, throaty voice.
“…” Song Yu could not answer.
After Qi Chengzhi finished the other leg, he used both his hands to separate her legs and pulled her towards him.
Song Yu’s hands which were holding on to the bathtub slid across and she was wrapped between his arms.
“…”
What even, he should give a notice before doing such a sudden attack!
…
…
Song Yu laid sideways in Qi Chengzhi’s arms. She was embarrassed when her big belly was pressing against Qi Chengzhi’s tummy and started to back away so that she could remove her belly. However, it became uncomfortable with the belly blocking the way.
“Stop moving.” Qi Chengzhi held onto her waist and pulled her even closer.
