Chapter 92 - As Long As You Trust Me (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Qi Chengyue stared at him incredulously. As if a part of her strength had forsaken her, Qi Chengyue whispered in disbelief, “Jian Yi, you want to break up with me?”

“I never thought of breaking up with you, but if you keep second-guessing and accusing every woman in my life, I really don’t know how long I can tolerate it. A relationship requires trust on both sides. You have little to no trust in me, and frankly, I’m getting really tired of this. I don’t want to keep arguing with you over Song Yu or some other woman. Chengyue, whether we break up or not, it’s up to you.”

After delivering the final blow, Jian Yi stormed out.

Qi Chengyue gave chase but the sight of Jian Yi leading Xiao Wei out of the building fueled her bitterness. She walked back into her office and slammed the door in vehemence. Anger and resentment boiled in her with no means of escape. In the end, the negative emotions spilled over and contorted her face.

…

…

When Song Yu arrived at the project site, the workers were scattered about doing anything but the actual work. Some were drinking beer and snacking on peanuts while others were smoking and playing poker.

Her presence did nothing to deter them. They simply glanced at her and went back to doing whatever they were doing.

Song Yu went up to someone who seemed more approachable than the others and asked, “Where’s Manager Liu?”

Manager Liu was the person in charge of the site. His name card had the word ‘Manager’ printed on it, so Song Yu respectfully indulged the man.

The worker who previously had an amiable disposition quickly turned stone-faced, he answered in a reluctant tone, “In the house.”

Song Yu took a deep breath and turned away, but her path was blocked.

The crowd in front of her was slowly building. The workers had abandoned whatever activity they were engaged in and were drawing near her.

Song Yu anxiously tightened her grip on her phone and bag. Her palms were starting to sweat despite the cold weather.

“What are you guys doing?” Song Yu took a step back but realized that she was being cornered on all sides.

“What are we doing? We want money!” Manager Liu finally arrived at the scene. With a cigarette in his mouth, he said loudly, “We’re stopping the work. Even my workers need money to eat.”

“Manager Liu, this was exactly what I came here to discuss. This is a big project and we would never intentionally delay payment. We will handle the talks with Qilin Property and keep you up to date. It’s my responsibility to oversee the project, so rest assured. Now, the work for this term is not complete, right? Can your team continue to work on it? I promise before this term ends, the payment for the next term will be on time and not a cent less than what we discussed.”

“No,” Manager Liu flicked his cigarette to the ground, “You don’t leave this site until we get the money.”

Before Song Yu could ask what he meant, her phone had been slapped from her hand. The device fell and hit a rock. It looked like a lost cause, with the screen cracked and the battery dislodged.

A few men snatched her bag and threw it on the ground.

“What are you doing?” Song Yu asked in a high-pitched tone, her calm facade cracked by the show of violence.

The men dragged her by her arms and she heard Manager Liu ordered, “Lock her up! Until we get our payment, she doesn’t leave the site!”

Song Yu stood no chance, especially when there was so many of them. She was thrown into a simplistic wooden room and the door locked behind her.

Inside the room, Song Yu massaged her aching wrists and thought, ‘Didn’t think that they’d be so barbaric.’

If only they had stopped to think about the consequences of their actions. This incident, if pursued, could be dragged into the courthouse and no one from the team would be spared.

As an architect, she had to liaise with the engineering and construction team. This was the case for all the projects she handled before.

Due to the lack of staff in Chengshi, she usually did not trouble her coworkers to accompany her for site visits. However, this incident was definitely a first.

She did not know that these people were prone to violence when it came to payment delays. Normally, these issues would be handled quietly and without much fuss as the debtor does not want any bad press.

If they just wanted to lock her up here, she did not mind.

She only feared any escalation if the payments were not settled today. While they were fine with leaving her alone in the room, that could change later on. The thought filled her heart with dread.

The room was barren and chilly, providing little protection against the cold winds. Song Yu shivered. With her phone gone, she did not have any means to get help.

Song Yu stared out the small window to get a sense of what was going on. Not long after, she saw a car drive into the site and down came Manager Wang.

Song Yu immediately knocked on the window to attract attention but the room was too far away for Manager Wang to notice the noises she was making.

From her limited view, it looked like Manager Wang was in a heated argument with Manager Liu. The workers were circling around Manager Wang, making him visibly uncomfortable though they had not attempted to seize him.

Song Yu felt the chill in her bones. She sustained some injuries to her hands when they threw her onto the ground. Blood dripped from her palms, and the pain prevented her from rubbing her arms to gain warmth.

She kept a close eye on the situation with Manager Wang. Suddenly, a police siren was nearing their location. The police cars entered the site and stopped—police officers strode out from their vehicles. The police officers shouted warnings and threats as the workers tried to flee, but at the end of it, they were all subdued and interrogated.

Song Yu could not catch what the police officers were asking. A moment passed and she saw a slender figure. The figure seemed out of place among the dirty and dusty worksite.

Qi Chengzhi took great, hurried strides across the dirt and sand.

Underneath his black coat, he was dressed in a formal suit. The moment Song Yu recognized him, she let herself breathe a sigh of relief, almost faltering to the ground.

When she was locked up, her heart filled with such fear and dread but she kept the tears at bay. She was afraid that once the tears started flowing, she would crumble.

Now that Qi Chengzhi had arrived, Song Yu’s eyes blurred and the tears streamed down uncontrollably—her sobs no longer contained.

Once she saw him, she realized that Qi Chengzhi was the person that she had been waiting for this whole time.

While she was fearing the worst, she did not cry as she believed that Qi Chengzhi would always be there to rescue her.

‘The person I love is the greatest hero on earth. One day he will ascend the iridescent clouds and marry me.’

The familiar line entered her mind and reflected what she was currently feeling.

Someone unlocked the door and forcefully kicked it down. Qi Chengzhi strode in. Inside the low-ceiling room, his tall frame seemed to take up the whole space and the filthy air became heavier with his breath.

She saw the worry etched deep on his scowling face. His eyes were locked onto her. While his face was cold from being outside, his eyes smoldered—they were filled with concern for her.

Song Yu abandoned all pretenses and ran into his arms with a choked sob.

She felt herself being hugged tightly, like a baby who was lost then found. The strong arms held her in such a tight embrace that her body ached.

However, the unwavering strength was exactly what she needed at the moment.

Her arms circled around his waist and held firm. She buried her face in his chest—her tears staining the well-made suit.

Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace and felt Song Yu’s face pressed against his heart. The woman of his heart was in his arms.

He looked down and saw her tear-soaked eyelashes, which were darker than usual.

A pair of dry and thin lips landed softly on her eye. The dry lips, which were battered by the cold winds, were moistened by the tears.

He kissed all her tears away. The taste of it was warm and sharp on his tongue.

Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath and lifted Song Yu into his arms.

Song Yu wrapped her arms around his neck, uncaring of what other people might think. She clung to him with desperation—her face buried in his chest as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Manager Wang was giving his statement to the police officers as Qi Chengzhi appeared with Song Yu protectively in his arms. Qi Chengzhi said nothing as he stoically carried the woman into his Range Rover.

Manager Wang thought to himself, ‘No wonder Song Yu was the only person that could receive orders from Qilin.’ Sometimes Wang Liwei’s theories were baseless, but this time she hit the nail on the head. It seemed like from now on Chengshi had a new Buddha.

As Chang Lai drove the car, Qi Chengzhi did not let go of Song Yu. She sat in his lap and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

While Jian Yi and Xiao Wei were on the road, a police car convoy passed them in a flurry. In the middle of the convoy, a familiar Range Rover sped down the road.

…

…

Aunt Yang was shocked to see Song Yu being carried in by Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu did not seem embarrassed by the whole affair but looked very weak.

Qi Chengzhi ordered Aunt Yang to get the first aid kit. She dutifully attended to Song Yu’s hand wounds. After the blood had been washed off, a close examination concluded that the wounds were not severe. Aunt Yang disinfected the wounds and covered them with some gauze.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Qi Chengzhi asked as he checked her.

Song Yu shook her head. “Only the cuts on my hands. When they threw me into the room, I fell and injured them. Other than that, I’m fine.”

Song Yu was not used to his gentle and cautious demeanor. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

As she cherished the rare moment of romanticism shown by Qi Chengzhi, he pressed his lips together and his face turned somber.

Song Yu lowered her head like a kid who had been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie jar. Qi Chengzhi’s tone was dead serious as he said, “Don’t do something so stupid again. If you’re going to the site, bring some people along.”

Song Yu mumbled a note of agreement and pressed her forehead against his shoulder.

She felt Qi Chengzhi hug her, and he placed a kiss on her temple. “Stay here tonight.”

Song Yu did not protest. She was shaken up by the incident today and being alone would only bring her nightmares.

…

…

Jian Yi went to the worksite and found it empty. There was not a single person, least of all the one that he wanted to meet. The scene reminded him of the police cars and Range Rover that passed him just now.

On the road back, he dialed for Song Yu multiple times but no one answered. He was worried about her.

He reached home and took out his house keys, but realized that the door was not locked. Someone was already home and he could guess who. He opened the door and a figure bounded toward him. The light scent of perfume permeated the air.

“Jian Yi, you’re back!” Qi Chengyue was dressed in a comfortable long skirt instead of her usual formal attire. Her dimpled smile graced her lovely face.

She retrieved a pair of house slippers from the shoe rack. As she bent down to place the slippers in front of Jian Yi, her long hair fell forward from her back.

Jian Yi quietly looked on. Qi Chengyue bringing the slippers to him was very domestic and gentle. However, he found himself thinking about the idyllic scene with Song Yu in place of Qi Chengyue.

Unconsciously, the figures of Qi Chengyue and Song Yu blurred together.

“Jian Yi, what are you thinking?” He stood at the door in a daze, which prompted Qi Chengyue to wave her hand in front of him.

Jian Yi woke from his daydream and gave a tight-lipped smile, “Nothing much. Just not used to seeing you like this.”

He changed into the house slippers and was dragged to the couch by Qi Chengyue. Seated on the couch, Qi Chengyue grabbed Jian Yi’s hands and started softly massaging his fingers in her lap.

“Jian Yi, I’ve thought about what you said earlier today.” Qi Chengyue raised her head and looked at him sincerely. “It was my fault. I didn’t trust you. I will do my best to change, so please don’t be mad at me. Please?”

She smiled timidly—the dimples appearing on her face made her look especially attractive. “I know I’m stubborn sometimes and have a bad temper. But Jian Yi, I love and care about you. For you, I’m willing to change all the bad parts about me. I never want to break up with you.”

Jian Yi stroked her face with one hand while the other rested in Qi Chengyue’s grip. Her skin was delicate and supple, and her sweet appearance belied her actual age. Nevertheless, she was not Song Yu and would never elicit the strong emotions in Jian Yi’s heart.

“As long as you trust me,” Jian Yi said indifferently.

Qi Chengyue only paid attention to the words spoken but not the tone it was spoken with. With happiness bubbling in her, she took the initiative and kissed him.

…

…

At night, Cheng Dongge came to return the bag that had been snatched in the earlier commotion. Her phone was a lost cause, so he only returned the sim card along with a brand new phone. The phone model was the latest in the market, not even available in China yet. The rich people in China had to go through Hong Kong to get their hands on this model, causing the price to skyrocket tens of thousands of yuan above its original price. To think that Qi Chengzhi allowed Cheng Dongge to buy it for her, he must have spent a lot of money.

Due to the wounds on her hands, Song Yu took a quick bath and avoided scrubbing her skin.

Qi Chengzhi was outside the bedroom balcony talking on the phone when she came out of the bathroom. She overheard the salutation used and surmised that it was Lawyer Song on the call.

Song Yu’s presence did not make Qi Chengzhi lower his voice, the words echoed loudly from the balcony.

“We will sue those people, but don’t let it turn into a media circus. That will impact Qilin and Chengshi’s business.”

“…”

“Yes, consider it as a breach of contract. I plan to get a new construction team. Don’t let their manager run away.”

“…”

“Yes. That’s all.”

He hung up the phone and came in to see Song Yu lying in bed, looking awfully docile.