Chapter 80 - I Want To Spend The New Year’s With You (2/2)
Song Yu walked out of the apartment compound and spotted the Range Rover parked at the side of the corner building.
Qi Chengzhi was dressed in a casual V-neck black-and-white-striped sweater and a navy blue woolen coat, a departure from his usual formal attire. Clad in khaki trousers that accentuated his long legs, he was leaning against the back of the Range Rover with his legs crossed.
A cigarette between his leather-gloved fingers, he occasionally took a drag. The white smoke quickly disappeared, chased away by the cold winter winds.
Song Yu slowed her footsteps down, mesmerized by the man before her.
He was very different from Jian Yi. Qi Chengzhi emanated an air of nobility that could not be emulated.
Looking at him from afar, she felt a sense of calm wash over her; though as she approached him, she started to feel nervous. When had this become an issue?
She never knew that the sight of a man quietly smoking would fill her with such contentment.
Her approach was perceived by Qi Chengzhi and he turned to look at her with tenderness in his eyes.
Butterflies flitted around in her stomach and her heart started to race.
Qi Chengzhi stood up straight as Song Yu walked up to him. His body towered over hers as if shielding her from the winds.
Song Yu lifted her head. Until then, she did not dare to look straight into his eyes so her vision lingered at his chin.
“Why didn’t you wait in the car?” she asked. She had only been outdoors for a moment but the howling winds had reddened her cheeks and messed up her hair.
Song Yu blamed herself for rushing out, she should have tied her hair up in retrospect.
While she was thinking this, it did not occur to her that when a woman was worried about her appearance in front of a man, it meant that the man had a foothold in her heart.
Qi Chengzhi’s gloved fingers combed through her hair. She could smell the leather as he helped tame her disheveled locks.
When he was done, he opened the backseat door. “Hop in.”
Odd that she was being ushered into the backseat.
As she was settling down into the backseat, the opposing door opened and in came Qi Chengzhi.
Suddenly, the backseat felt too small for the two of them. The interior of the car was brightly lit — a contrast from the street they had been standing on. Song Yu found herself internally panicking at the situation, unsure as to what she should do.
The windblown scent of Qi Chengzhi’s cologne filled the space. Song Yu’s previously frozen face was heating up by every passing second.
“Why are you here? Aren’t you spending New Year’s at home?”
Qi Chengzhi slowly removed the gloves, revealing a pair of unblemished hands. “I wanted to spend New Year’s with you.”
He tossed away the leather gloves and reached for Song Yu’s cold hands. Using his own body heat, he warmed the small hands clasped between his palms.
Within moments, Song Yu could feel blood flow return to her fingers.
The man who was supposed to be at the Qi house for New Year’s had abandoned his family and came to find her instead.
According to the traditions of the Spring Festival, it was customary to stay up until midnight to welcome the new year. This tradition was primarily carried out together with one’s family, yet, here he was.
Song Yu’s heart had not calmed down. Gathering her courage, she raised her head and looked at his clean-shaven and elegant face. She was met with a pair of focused, black eyes.
The whole time that she was staring at his delicate hands, he was looking at her with such intensity.
Song Yu felt her heart skip a beat, a full-blown blush was forming on her cheeks. “Wait here for a moment, I’ll be right back.”
“Hold up.” Qi Chengzhi’s low voice echoed. He took his leather gloves and made her wear them.
The gloves were fitted for hands much bigger than Song Yu’s. Her fingers filled only two-thirds of the space.
The leather gloves still had the warmth of Qi Chengzhi’s hands.
With her hands protected from the weather, Song Yu jogged back to the apartment block.
At her house entrance, she stowed the leather gloves into her jacket pockets.
When she entered her home, she saw her mother in the kitchen cooking dumplings. Hearing the front door close, Yu Qianyin turned around and spotted Song Yu walking in. “Where did you go?”
“I went downstairs to watch the fireworks.” Still wearing her down jacket, she walked into the kitchen and said to her mother, “I’ll take over. You go ahead and watch the Spring Festival Gala with dad.”
“It’s fine, I’ve already started cooking. Go and accompany your dad.” Yu Qianyin was periodically stirring the water to ensure the dumplings did not stick to the pot.
Song Yu took the ladle and steered her mother out from the kitchen. “I’m not very interested in the program. You go watch and relax. We’ll eat the dumplings after midnight.”
“Okay, okay. No need to push.” Yu Qianyin chuckled and shook her head, returning to the living room.
Song Yu took out two containers of different sizes — a large one to hold the dumplings and a smaller one for the vinegar.
She filled the large container with cooked dumplings and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks. Without saying a word, she left the house.
Song Yu entered the car. When Qi Chengzhi saw the freshly-cooked dumplings in her arms, he thought to himself, ‘No wonder she took so long.’
“Wait.” Song Yu leaned forward to the front seat and switched on the radio. She did not need to search for a particular frequency as every station was streaming the Spring Festival Gala.
She sat back down. The host was counting down the seconds to the new year.
On the final count, Song Yu opened the large container. It was a new year.
“You made these yourself?” Qi Chengzhi took a dumpling with his chopsticks.
“My mom prepared the fillings and we wrapped them together.” Song Yu picked a dumpling and smiled. “The ones that are unevenly wrapped like this one is probably my handiwork.”
Qi Chengzhi silently put down his chosen fat dumpling and took the one Song Yu picked. He dipped the distorted dumpling in some vinegar and ate it.
Outside the car, fireworks lit up the night sky. The colorful display of lights filtered into the car and cast a hazy shadow on Qi Chengzhi’s face.
They sat in the cramped backseat eating warm dumplings. Accompanied by the sounds of celebration through the radio, it was a heartwarming scene.
He ate the dumplings in one bite, not the least worried about burning his tongue. Even so, Qi Chengzhi looked as graceful as ever.
…
…
Back at home, the countdown had ended but Song Yu’s promised dumplings still were not delivered. Yu Qianyin hollered, “Song Yu, are the dumplings ready?”
When a minute passed and there was no reply, Yu Qianyin got up and muttered, “This child.”
She entered the kitchen and Song Yu was nowhere to be seen. The batch of cooked dumplings had disappeared too, while the uncooked dumplings remained where they were when she left.
“This brat, she said she was going to cook the dumplings and where did she go?” Yu Qianyin said in an annoyed tone and started the stove.
…
…
They finished the dumplings just as the Spring Festival Gala ended.
Qi Chengzhi placed the emptied containers in the passenger seat and switched off the radio.
The loud and festive performances broadcasted by the radio had stifled any romantic notions but then, awkwardness filled the air again.
As he sat back down, a splash of color exploded in the sky and reflected in Song Yu’s face, enhancing her delicate facial features.
“That… I’ll head home now. Drive safe,” Song Yu uttered and turned to leave. His attention on her was making her anxious. However, Qi Chengzhi quickly grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into his embrace.
“I haven’t wished you, Happy Spring Festival,” he whispered into her ear. His lips trailed along the shell of her ear.
Feeling his hot breath on her ear and neck, she clutched at his chest as her heart pounded in abandonment.
“Happy… Oh…” she did not manage to finish her sentence as he kissed her into silence.
Qi Chengzhi’s arms encircled her firmly. A sudden flip and she was on her back on the leather back seats. He continued to kiss her forcefully, his body tucked between her legs.
One hand maneuvered its way past her down jacket and underneath her sweater. His palm was warm against her skin. As the palm moved upward, Song Yu inhaled sharply, flattening her belly but puffing up her chest.