His clean and strong hands massaged her back as it moved up and down. He kneaded her softness and kissed forcefully on every inch of her face. His kisses made her a helpless doll. She lost all power within herself.
Both of her arms hung on his shoulders weakly. His lips were pressed against the skin below her eyes and grazing it lightly while he muttered, “Why does it feel so good to kiss you?”
Song Yu could not resist but laugh at his question. He only released her when the elevator was almost reaching their floor and helped her to tidy up the disheveled clothes and hair that resulted from his touch. Then, he used his fingertips to coil the strands of hair near her ears.
“Ding”, the elevator’s door opened slowly. Qi Chengzhi tried to lead Song Yu out of the elevator but she did not budge.
He could feel the resistance from her hand and turned around to look at her puzzledly.
Suddenly, Song Yu took two steps forward and gave him a peck on his chin in a swift motion. After one whole day, there were already stubbles peeking out from his chin. Even though they were not very obvious, it felt prickly when she kissed him.
This time around, it was Qi Chengzhi who was stunned. Never did he expect her to act like this out of the blue. He lowered his head and saw the endearing expression with a hint of mischief on her blushing face.
At this moment, it made him realize that she was very much younger than him. No matter how calm she was as a person, she still had the mischief of a prankster in her.
After that, the tables were turned and Song Yu was leading Qi Chengzhi.
Qi Chengzhi chuckled and let Song Yu lead the way. He felt rather pleased to see Song Yu taking the lead for once.
He followed behind and admired the amazing view of her back.
Since the weather was slowly turning warmer, she was wearing lesser clothing items. She only had a trench coat on with a simple white T-shirt and a slim fit khaki pants inside, matched with blue suede heels.
The interior temperature of Qilin was controlled by the centralized air conditioning system. It was quite warm, so Song Yu had taken off her coat before they went up. Her shirt was tucked in her pants secured by a belt, accentuating the curves of her waist. The view of her back was exquisite.
Her hair was in a mess after Qi Chengzhi kissed her in the elevator. It was all laid out on her back. Her hair was braided the entire day, fixing her long hair with natural curls. It looked as if they were permed. They were extremely bouncy, swaying along to each step that she took. The curves were also gleaming with a slight sheen.
Qi Chengzhi was mesmerized by what he saw. He could not resist and lifted his other hand and wanted to run them through her silky strands but Song Yu stopped abruptly.
Qi Chengzhi immediately came back to his senses and put down his hand hurriedly. When Song Yu turned around, his expression was already back to normal.
Only then, they noticed that they had reached the door of his office.
Song Yu gave a tug on his hand and urged, “Open the door!”
Qi Chengzhi smiled and extended his arm from behind to open the door before inviting Song Yu in.
However, once the door was opened, the manager who was sitting with his back facing the door turned his head around and met with Song Yu’s gaze.
Song Yu felt embarrassed as she remembered that they were holding hands and tried to release him. She was thinking that they should be more aware since this was their workplace. Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi tightened his grip and did not let go of her. He pushed her gently from the back into the office. He led her to the sofa that was against the wall as if there were no one around them and turned a blind eye to the amount of shock written on the manager’s face.
“Wait here for a while, I’ll be done in a minute,” he said gently. Even though he did not speak loudly and almost whispered it into her ears, the manager would be able to hear what he said if he paid attention.
The manager was curious about the situation in front of him but he dare not linger his gaze on them for too long. He was absolutely dumbfounded by the tenderness in Qi Chengzhi’s tone.
Qi Chengzhi had his back facing him, so he could not see his expressions. However, he thought to himself, ‘The director’s girlfriend is so young!’
Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand and only released her after she was seated. Then, he proceeded to turn around and discuss matters with the manager.
Cheng Dongge entered to give Song Yu some snacks and drinks, but Song Yu did not eat much because they were going home to have dinner soon.
While she was sitting, she observed Qi Chengzhi’s office. It was very simple and was able to have a full view with just one look. Unlike many others with a position like him, they usually included a lounge for them to rest in their office.
He did not have one. The decoration of his office was simple, designed for the sake of working only. There was not even a single mirror inside the room.
Song Yu glanced at Qi Chengzhi, he seemed very focused while he was discussing his work. He did not divert his attention to her. She then took out a small mirror and placed it on the desk to braid her hair again.
The manager noticed that the director’s gaze wavered to the right side behind him from time to time. He had no idea whether the contents of the report was successfully delivered to the director. He was quite worried and wondered if he had to come again tomorrow.
Then, he saw Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes. His clean, slender fingers that were previously spinning his pen subconsciously came to a halt all of a sudden. He slammed the pen onto the table and stood up without warning, “You can leave for now.”
When the manager left, he purposely stopped in front of Song Yu and greeted her respectfully.
“How should I address you?” the manager asked humbly.
Song Yu felt uneasy after hearing him addressing her with such formalities, especially when he used the formal “you” to address her. The manager seemed to be much older than Jian Yi, almost the same age as Luo Yushu. She was very embarrassed for him to address her in such a respectful manner.
When she was about to speak, Qi Chengzhi walked over and said calmly, “She’s my fiancée, Song Yu.”
The manager was stunned and flattered at the same time. He raised his voice and said, “Miss Song, nice to meet you!”
He never imagined that the director already had a fiancée without making any announcements. He even brought her to his office. The way he treated her with such tenderness was already causing him to have goosebumps.
Not long ago when the lady from the Yu family came, the whole Qilin knew about the incident where she was not even allowed to enter the elevator.
Song Yu also did not expect Qi Chengzhi to change her status from his girlfriend to his fiancée without telling her anything beforehand. At that instant, she could only blush and take it in silent acquiescence.
The manager left after he greeted her and went on the close the doors for them.
While she was braiding her hair, she was also listening to the progress of his work. When Qi Chengzhi walked over to her, she asked, “Am I disturbing your work?”
“No, it was almost done anyway,” Qi Chengzhi held her hand, his other hand toyed with the strands near her ear gently, “Also, I promised to have dinner at your house. It’s not good to go at such a late hour.”
Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu arrived at the first floor with their hands interlaced with each other. When they left the main entrance, more people were gathered around than before, all of them came to see Song Yu.
The whole company was aware that Qi Chengzhi brought along his genuine fiancée. Besides, everyone knew about Song Yu with Cheng Dongge hinting them. They would have to treat her respectfully the next time she comes. For the other frivolous women, they would not have to bother about what they say anymore. He already has a fiancée, those who self-proclaimed to be can get lost!
…
…
The Range Rover was parked downstairs of Song Yu’s house. After Qi Chengzhi got down from the car, he retrieved two bottles of whiskey and brandy from the trunk of his car.
Back in those days, Song Donglin would have a nightcap before bed. He did not drink much, only half a small cup every time. He liked that refreshing scent and the sensation of a gentle burn.
Song Yu could smell the fragrance of the dishes from inside when she reached the doorstep. When she thought about it, she had not come home for a meal in a very long time. She really missed the smell and felt a lump building in her throat.
She gave a few sniffs to calm down before knocking on the door.
Song Donglin answered the door and saw Qi Chengzhi. He welcomed him in courteously. He treated him like how a father-in-law would treat his son-in-law.
Yu Qianying was still cooking in the kitchen. Song Donglin received the alcohol from Qi Chengzhi and brought it to the dining table. Song Yu entered the kitchen, where she hesitated for a second before opening her mouth and called, “Mum.”
Yu Qianying already heard them entering the house, but she could not put herself down and go out to greet them. She avoided that by keeping herself busy with the cooking.
She turned her head and glanced at Song Yu, “You’re back.”
Then, she saw Qi Chengzhi who followed Song Yu in and stood behind her.
Before this, she only treated him plainly as the older brother of her daughter’s fiance. Even though Qi Chengzhi’s age was young enough to be her son, she was awed by the aura that Qi Chengzhi emitted, which had nothing to do with his age.
This made Yu Qianying feel as if Qi Chengzhi was not someone who was one generation younger than her. This feeling grew stronger ever since Qi Chengzhi became an adult.
Especially when Qi Chengzhi always puts on a stern expression, his features were so fierce that it made him very unapproachable. He did not interact much with her since he was quite taciturn. Even Yu Qianying herself had no clue how to communicate with Qi Chengzhi.
A person like him ended up being her daughter’s boyfriend. Looking at how determined Qi Chengzhi behaved, he would be her son-in-law very soon. The more she thought about it, the more she felt peculiar.
He was supposed to be Song Yu’s brother-in-law, but he was standing straight up in the kitchen as the boyfriend that her daughter brought home. Yu Qianying felt so unreal as though she was dreaming all of this.
Yu Qianying’s expression looked a little unnatural and could not force a smile out, but she still nodded at him and said, “You’re here, go and sit down. The meal will be ready in a minute.”
Song Yu could sense a shift in Yu Qianying’s attitude towards Qi Chengzhi. Even though she acted rather stiffly, but she did not resent him as much as before. Song Yu could not help but step forward and said, “Mum…” warm tears filling her eyes.
Yu Qianying plated the vegetables and put it down. She let out a sigh after she turned around to look at Song Yu. She put her roughened hands after all these years of house chores over Song Yu’s hand and tapped gently, “Bring him in to sit down. Don’t crowd over here.”
Song Yu took out the dish that was just plated but Yu Qianying stopped her from doing so, “Leave it, you’re dressed so nicely. It’s inconvenient with you holding the bag. Just go in and sit!”
“No worries, it’s on the way out anyway,” Song Yu relaxed a lot after she got Yu Qianying’s approval. She smiled and took the dish away with her.
Qi Chengzhi moved out of the way to let Song Yu through, but he did not follow her out. He folded his suit together with the long sleeves of his shirt up and exposed his well-defined forearm.
He extended his hand to another dish and lifted the plate with his fair and slender fingers. His thumb got stained by the sauce from the side of the plate, looking so out of place on his clean finger.
“Don’t touch it, you’ll stain your hand,” Yu Qianying said, “Head in and get seated.”
“It’s already dirtied anyway,” Qi Chengzhi knew that she was referring to the sauce stain on his thumb. He could even smell it.
“Chengzhi,” Yu Qianying hesitated for a little before moving her gaze from his slender fingers to his face. Even though he tried to soften his expression, those razor-sharp lines on his face made her unable to look at him directly, “Can I call you like this?”
“Feel free to do so, we’re going to be a family soonT” the corner of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth curved upwards slightly as he put the plate down.
After Yu Qianying heard what he just said, she did not know how to answer him in that instant. She always felt that Qi Chengzhi was not very approachable and made others fear him, yet she could not fathom how he managed to say something so shamelessly. The feeling he gave her was quite conflicting.
She drew a sheet of tissue from the table behind her for him to wipe his hand. She watched him while he casually wiped off the sauce on his thumb elegantly. Then, he just stood there without saying a word. It was obvious that he was waiting for her to initiate the conversation.
Yu Qianying said after a sigh, “How serious are you with our Song Yu?”
“I want to marry her.” His answer was short and determined. He used the word “want” instead of “thinking of”, showing the firmness in his decision.
“Even if your family is against it?” Yu Qianying took a deep breath, her voice sounded strained.
She did not want to put it so frankly, but Song Yu was her only daughter and she would never want any harm to come to her.
Song Yu would not understand since she was the one involved in it. Song Yu would not ask or think about it, that was why some things should be asked by her instead.
“You’ve seen my grandmother’s attitude. If she agrees, no one in the family would dare to oppose it,” Qi Chengzhi said. Their conversation was drowned by the noise generated by the kitchen exhaust fan.
“Can you promise that she would not be hurt by your family members?” Yu Qianying asked.
Qi Chengzhi nodded his head.
“I hope that you’ll keep your promise,” Yu Qianying said. “Song Yu is our only daughter. We gave her the best since she was young. Although we might be very strict on her upbringing, we never made her upset without any reason. She was our princess before the Song family went bankrupt. We owe it to her. Our incompetence cost us our company and made her went through so much.
I can’t help much if she gets troubled by her work. The least I can do is not give her the chance to be upset at home. She was pampered from young by us. If she really got married to you, I won’t expect your family to love her as much as we parents do, but please do not bully her or upset her on purpose.
We raised her with so much love. She’s not a target for others to bully. Since you promised me today, I hope that you’ll stay true to your words.”
“Also,” Yu Qianying inhaled deeply and continued, “Your family probably won’t give her a formal wedding ceremony with her relationship with Chengji in the past, right?”
Without waiting for Qi Chengzhi’s reply, Yu Qianying continued, “You don’t have to deny. I used to be a member of that social circle. I know how they think. Nevertheless, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about my daughter. I won’t demand a grand wedding, but at least she should get married in a formal ceremony and not be swept under the rug. Can you do it?”
Song Yu was hiding behind the kitchen door. She came back to help take the dishes out, but she overheard Yu Qianying talking.
Her throat tightened and hot tears misted over her strained eyes. Before she could even hear Qi Chengzhi’s answer, someone touched her shoulder.
She turned her head around and saw Song Donglin. He had walked over without her noticing. He said softly, “Let’s go. This is between your mum and him.”
She did not manage to listen to Qi Chengzhi’s reply as Song Donglin brought her away.
In the living room, Song Donglin took off his reading glasses and sat with Song Yu on the sofa.
“We’ve already discussed the questions for your mum to ask him. Her rejection in the past was all for the sake of your well-being. Now, since he’s the only person you like, we can’t force you guys. However, we still have to get some things straight,” Song Donglin looked at her. Even though he looked much older than before, his eyes were still gleaming.
“Parents are different from other people. We always put our child’s happiness first. Who else would care about your happiness other than us? Although we’re not quite capable now, we still want to protect you in the best way possible.”
Song Yu nodded and used all her strength to hold back those tears from falling out of her eyes.
She sniffed and choked, “Dad, I’m sorry to let you guys worry so much about me. If… I found a regular guy, you guys wouldn’t be so troubled.”
Song Donglin let out a sigh and patted her shoulders, “No matter what, we still want you to be happy. If you’re happy with him, you’ll have our support. In fact, it was us that let you down. If only I was more capable of saving the company, we would not be so passive and those from the Qi family won’t have the guts to bully you.”
Song Yu shook her head, “Dad, don’t say that. I have no regrets. If the company’s still running, Qi Chengzhi and I won’t be able to be together today. You’ll also be busy with the company and can’t enjoy the leisurely lifestyle that you have now.
I always felt that even if we can’t live and eat as luxuriously as before, we own a much more comfortable state of mind. What’s good about having a life like the Yu family? They can’t live in peace since they have endless desire and greed for money. They’re not necessarily living as freely as you guys. That’s why I’ve never blamed you guys. It never crossed my mind that bankruptcy was unacceptable and that I had to live in regret and sorrow every day onwards.”
Song Donglin sighed while he nodded his head. He glanced towards the direction of the kitchen and took a tissue from the coffee table and gave it to Song Yu, “They’re coming over.”
Song Yu received the tissue and pressed gently on her eyes to absorb the tears. She took a few deep breaths. When Yu Qianying emerged from the kitchen with the dishes in hand, she had regained her composure.
Yu Qianying acted normally. If it was not for Song Yu overhearing them, she would never have thought that they could have such an exchange in the kitchen.
Qi Chengzhi followed behind. It was hard to imagine him holding a dish in a small dining area. It looked as though he could not extend his long limbs fully in the limited space.
He was definitely not suitable to be in a small house.
The atmosphere throughout the meal exceeded Song Yu’s expectations. Song Donglin opened the bottle of brandy that Qi Chengzhi brought.
When Grandmother Qi visited the last round, she brought a case of red wine with her. Song Donglin asked Qi Chengzhi if he wanted to have some red wine, but Qi Chengzhi knew that Song Donglin preferred brandy. Therefore, he suggested him to drink brandy instead. This made Song Donglin very happy.
After dinner, Song Yu was about to wash the dishes when Yu Qianying stopped her from doing so. She told her to have some rest after a whole day of work.
This was their usual daily conversation. This scene was not uncommon and happened quite often. When Song Yu wanted to cook or carry out house chores, Yu Qianying would not allow her to do so if she was at home. The reason she gave was that it was already very tiring after work, she should rest well when she comes home.
Such an unintentional move proved to Qi Chengzhi that Song Yu was indeed pampered by her parents at home. Even though she was no longer the lady from a notable family, they still tried their best not to let her suffer. This was completely out of parental love.
Song Donglin told them to sit down and ran to the kitchen. He washed some apples, pears, and strawberries before cutting them into cubes. Then, he cut up a grapefruit and brought them to the living room for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to eat.
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