Chapter 100 - Why Did You Accept It Without Checking Who Sent It?! (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

He never smoked. The reason for this was Song Yu, who could not stand the scent of cigarettes. She had told him once that she enjoyed his own clean scent. Since then, despite the masculine pull of the action, he had refrained. He recalled her telling him this, and, yet, he remembered how well she got along with Qi Chengzhi, who always had a cigarette in hand.

Resisting the urge to punch the door, Jian Yi battled the desire to take a few long pulls from a stick.

…

…

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and nervousness. Looking upwards, her eyes met Qi Chengzi’s, who had carried her into a stall. She could not breathe, his arms tight around her. She could not believe that he would dare do something like this in public.

“How do you feel about Jian Yi getting married?” he breathed into her ear. His voice was a low rumble; lascivious.

“I feel nothing,” Song Yu muttered reluctantly, slightly irritated by the question. Gazing at the sturdy arms flanking her, she gave his arm a harsh nip. He laughed. The husky snickers, combined with the languorous undulations of his Adam’s apple, made her weak.

…

…

Jian Yi was waiting outside the washroom. His fists were clenched tightly, leaving bright red marks where the nail bit into the skin.

A middle-aged woman tested the handle in a vain attempt to get in. She tried again, this time shoving the door inwards, but still she could not get it to swing open.

“What’s wrong with this thing?” she mumbled to herself, before turning towards Jian Yi. “Excuse me, do you know what’s wrong with the door?”

Tightly clenching his fists again, Jian Yi took a sharp, exasperated breath. Glaring at her, he snapped, “I don’t know. Probably someone locked it from the inside.”

‘Could he be mentally disabled?’ she thought, as she stared at Jian Yi, who was still glaring at her.

A few moments passed before she decided to get the waiter. The waiter informed her that, as the door was locked from the inside, there was little he could do, since it would not only be locked but latched too.

“What do you plan to do? There are so many people in this restaurant. They’ll need to go to the washroom. You can’t possibly ask us to hold it in, right?” barked the middle-aged woman in displeasure.

“Even if we hire a locksmith now, it will take some time. How about I bring you to the staff washroom?” The waiter suggested.

Contented with the solution, the woman left with the waiter.

It was not long before the washroom door clicked open. Jian Yi shoved himself off the wall, clenching his fists impossibly tighter.

The door inched open, revealing a sheepish Song Yu. From the entrance, she peered left and right. To make matters worse, she was emerging from the ladies room in the arms of Qi Chengzhi. It would be obvious to anyone what they had just been doing.

He placed her down, and they both straightened out their clothes, though it would not hide what they had done. Nonetheless, it did not stop Song Yu from running a wet comb through her hair.

The tenderness adorning her face was unmistakable. Song Yu’s wide watery eyes were so alluring that Qi Chengzhi could not stop himself from brushing a few kisses at their corners.

It was then that Song Yu spotted a pair of leather shoes. She froze and slowly raised her head to meet Jian Yi’s reddened eyes.

Luckily, there was no one in the hallway, save Jian Yi.

“What is it?” demanded Qi Chengzhi, totally unconcerned. When Song Yu did not react, he impatiently pushed the door wide open.

When he saw Jian Yi, he pouted mockingly then scoffed silently, his eyes filled with contempt.

Qi Chengzhi placed his hands on Song Yu’s shoulders and steered her out of the washroom. He squeezed her shoulders and said in a lowered voice, “You head back first.”

Daring not to meet his eye, she kept her head low, not out of guilt but embarrassment.

She obeyed Qi Chengzhi and left without turning back.

When Song Yu was out of sight, Qi Chengzhi took out a pack of cigarettes. His long slender fingers drew out a stick and lit it.

Jian Yi thought of Song Yu’s preference back in the day. Why was she not disgusted by Qi Chengzhi’s habit of smoking?

Suddenly, he had the urge to smoke.

Qi Chengzhi exhaled a stream of white smoke and cleared his throat gently. He had one hand in his pocket and he said indifferently, “Since you chose materialism, live with your own choices. Chengyue is not a fool. Just give up on Song Yu. Drop any further ideas of her. Stay away from her if you can’t give her anything; stop harassing her.”

Not waiting for an answer, Qi Chengzhi turned and walked off.

“What if I give up on that!” shouted Jian Yi, “What if I break up with Qi Chengyue?”

Qi Chengzhi paused for a slight moment. Jian Yi thought he was afraid. It seemed like the Young Master Cheng could also feel fear.

But then Qi Chengzhi merely tilted his head and scoffed before continuing on.

‘Breakup?’

He would be left with nothing. All his efforts would go to waste and he would be back at square one. If this was what he truly wanted, why did he go through all of that in the first place?

He would lose everything: power, wealth but, most importantly, Song Yu.

Breakup? Jian Yi would never do that.

Qi Chengzhi had seen right through him and that was why he hadn’t further entertained him. Jian Yi felt like he had punched a slab of mud, soft and yielding.

At the end of the hallway, Qi Chengzhi threw the cigarette down, crushing it.

…

…

Qi Chengyue and Song Yu were the only ones at the table, much to Song Yu’s dismay. She did not want to face Qi Chengyue alone. Despite her pangs of hunger, she did not have much of an appetite.

“My brother went for a blind date. It’s obvious that he won’t marry you, and yet you still cling to him. How thick can you be?!” Qi Chengyue had also, apparently, lost her appetite. She was frustrated. Clutching his phone, it had been a while since Jian Yi had left. At first, she could not help but worry that he had gone to search for Song Yu, but she consoled herself with the fact that her brother had gone after Song Yu first.

“You have known him all your life and yet you still don’t understand him? He even bought rings. Are you sure he’s not serious?” Song Yu did not care much for elucidation, but it did not mean that she would tolerate Qi Chengyue. “Well, if he isn’t serious then why haven’t I seen him purchase rings for the other girls? Plus, according to Wei Zhiqian, he hasn’t had a girlfriend before. If this doesn’t count as him being serious, then tell me what does, ” retorted Song Yu coldly.

Unable to refute the statement, Qi Chengyue fell silent.

She had not expected Song Yu to have already met Wei Zhiqian and his group of friends.

She was stunned. Even she, Qi Chengyue, had not been well acquainted with the members of the Great Eight Families. They had only met at banquets, where there was no real opportunity to be intimately acquainted.

They were a highly exclusive group, and only cared to maintain relations with a select few. The only way in was through contact with the selected.

Qi Chengyue was shocked. She had never expected her brother to treat Song Yu this seriously!

Had he already told her everything?

Qi Chengyue stayed solemn and silent for several moments before bursting out into peals of laughter, “Do you think that the Qi family will let you marry him? Why did you think my brother attended a blind date? It’s because aunt and uncle knew about you! That’s why they arranged a blind date for him. It is obvious that they won’t accept you. Stop dreaming!”

She halted her tirade, catching sight of her brother and Jian Yi returning.

Qi Chengyue did not ask about the phone when Jian Yi returned to his seat. Instead, she peeled a crab claw, dipped it in curry and held it up to his mouth, “Jian Yi, try it. It’s delicious, and you didn’t try much when you were peeling them for me.”

Jian Yi looked at her with a frown and pushed Qi Chengyue’s hand away, “I don’t feel like eating. You can have it.”

Qi Chengyue grew insistent, “Just one bite. Try it. It tastes really good.”

Having had enough of his sister’s pretense, Qi Chengzhi stood up. She made it impossible to eat. He pulled Song Yu up and said nonchalantly, “You guys carry on. We have to go.”

Upon their departure, Jian Yi shoved Qi Chengyue’s hand away. Curry splattered, leaving a trail of bright yellow spots on her bodice. It would be a chore to get rid of them.

Qi Chengyue was on the verge of exploding.

This was her favorite dress. Jian Yi not only dared to sully her dress but to also treat her this abominably?

How could he?! All she had been was nice to him!

She was seething with anger. She would have given him a lashing had they not been in public. She wanted to know what he truly desired.

Did he really want to get married?!

She paused, changing her mind. She bit her lip, as tears formed and her eyes grew damp.

“Jian Yi, what’s wrong? Why are you so irritable? I was just trying to be nice. Trying to be considerate. I was afraid that you might find me spoilt. It’s okay if you don’t want to eat. I– ”

Heartbroken, she could not continue. Her lips trembled, as tears trickled down her face.

Jian Yi looked at her, her long waves of dyed chestnut hair were immaculate. Not a single strand or root shone black.

She looked fragile and demure, with her tear-stained cheeks, and tresses that cascaded to her waist.

Jian Yi’s face grew taut, his lips compressing. After a while, he relaxed and gently wiped the tears away. “Stop crying! People may think that I’m bullying you.”

“Aren’t you bullying me? I’ve never cried because of a man. Only for you, only you…” Qi Chengyue mewled miserably. She pursed her lips, tears flowing endlessly.

Love was always peculiar. Jian Yi was from an average family. Even amongst the middle class, they were just normal. It just so happened that a lady from the Qi Family had fallen irrevocably in love with him.

Even if Qi Chengyue denied it, she could not completely ignore her instincts. She knew that Song Yu still had a place in his heart. Nonetheless, she could not bring herself to let go of him. She would rather sacrifice herself and marry him. She had, after all, failed in her endeavor to throw Song Yu out of their social circle.

“Okay, how I treated you just now was not right,” Jian Yi murmured, “but it’s because you’re always suspicious. I got angry out of frustration. Sorry, I’ll apologize to you. Don’t cry. Please?”

It took a while before Qi Chengyue allowed Jian Yi’s comfort to stem the flow of her tears. She looked down, gazing desolately at her ruined dress, “This is my favorite dress. I just bought it yesterday.”

“How about I send you home to freshen up, and then we can go and buy a new one?” Jian Yi offered cheerily.

His concern softened her. Abandoning her anger, she decided to follow him.

The argument had caused a loss of appetite, leading to the parties rising and preparing to leave. But before they could do so, a young waiter stopped them, “I’m sorry, but you haven’t paid the bill yet.”

Jian Yi was speechless.

‘How disgusting could Young Master Cheng be?’ he wondered.

…

…

As she sat in the car, Song Yu gazed downward at the band encircling her finger. She loved it, despite its simplicity. She never tired of gazing at it, though that might be more because of the person and what it represented rather than the band itself.

She smiled, lost in her thoughts. Her fingers caressed the ring, gently twisting and turning it, unable to look away.

When Qi Chengzhi caught her smiling, he extended his hand, enveloping hers with his. His hand was dry and warm; comforting.

He stroked the ring, gently grazing her knuckles as he did so. The traffic light flickered red, and Qi Chenzhi took the opportunity to face Song Yu. “You really like it that much?” His lips curved upwards into a small smile.

Song Yu merely hummed as she threaded her fingers through his slender ones, interlocking them into a tight knot.

He wanted to push her against the door and kiss her. He had wanted to do that the moment he heard her contented little hum.

He grasped her hand tightly, before bringing it upwards, kissing the ring.

“You barely ate this afternoon; aren’t you feeling hungry?” Qi Chengzhi asked. He had noticed that she had barely touched the chopsticks, let alone the food.

“I’m actually quite hungry,” Song Yu admitted, realizing how famished she truly was now that he had brought it up. She rubbed her right hand against her stomach, her left still in Qi Chenzhi’s firm grasp.

There were only the two of them.

Qi Chenzhi too was feeling rather peckish– a natural outcome after the vigorous exercise he had done.

“What do you feel like eating?” Qo Chengzhi glanced at her.

“I have a sudden craving for steamboat.” She felt soothed just by the thought of having a warm meal on this cold winter day.

Qi Chengzhi drove them to one of the most famous Chongqing steamboats in City B. Located in a mall, the restaurant was always crowded with people. It was advertised that all of the ingredients were imported directly from Chongqing, and that not even the level of spice added in had been altered to suit local taste, so as to preserve the authenticity of the soup. Nothing was modified to suit the palate of the denizens of City B.

Song Yu had heard of this famed purity, but had never had the chance to try it out .

The reason she had yet to go, despite the shop being affordable, was because they did not accept reservations. The only way to enter was to join a queue, and that meant she would have to wait for an hour– or, sometimes, even two– to get a seat.

Despite the late hour, there were people still waiting for tables. Some of the waiting customers were munching on tidbits provided by the restaurant, whilst others were engaged in a game of cards. Seeing the queue, Song Yu stifled her excitement and turned to Qi Chengzhi. “Let’s go somewhere else. There are so many people.”

Song Yu knew that queueing was out of the question, since Qi Chengzhi, who was used to preferential treatment, could not even muster up the patience to finish the meal at the French restaurant. To ask him to do so now, when he was on an empty stomach, was out of the question and unreasonable as there were plenty of steamboat eateries in City B.