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

As she was about to pull him away a waiter emerged from the restaurant and respectfully called out, “Young Master Cheng.”

“Is Yan Beicheng’s room available?” Qi Chengzhi asked.

“Yes, it is. Please follow me,”replied the waiter.

Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu’s hand and followed the waiter. He explained, “Yan Beicheng owns the shop. He reserves a room for himself. The rest of us tend to use it when he isn’t around.”

“He’s really interested in the entertainment industry,” commented Song Yu, remembering the Red Roof.

“He noticed that there weren’t any authentic Chongqing steamboat restaurants in City B, and so he started one. It was more of a whim than any real interest. But he still sent some people to conduct a survey at Chongqing, so that he’d be able to hire some of the best chefs. And when he is craving some steamboat, he tends to drag some of us along here as well.”

As he spoke, they entered Yan Beicheng’s private room. The interior was tastefully decorated in the traditional Chongqing style.

Qi Chengzhi ordered a three-flavored pot, some vegetables and their speciality dishes. Service was quick, and it did not take long for the pot to arrive.

When the soup base began to boil, Song Yu remembered Qi Chengyue’s earlier comments.

“Qi Chengyue told me that your parents are aware of us.”

The corners of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth curved upwards slightly as he extended his hands to clutch hers once more. His fingers sought out the band, rubbing the ring.

“What about us?” he asked, arching his eyebrows. He was excited.

His roguish gaze made her blush. She retracted her hand and placed it under the table, annoyed by his devil may care demeanor.

In the beginning, before they started dating, he had kissed her forcefully several times, and had kept insisting that there was something between them. Now, as he turned the ring round and round, his teasing felt familiar, even as their words had changed.

Qi Chengzhi let his hands fall on the table. He met her eyes and said, “I’ll introduce you to them the moment I find some time.” His tone was now serious.

Qi Chengzhi paused for a moment. “We will go to my grandfather’s. Grandmother had said that she would give me a Gold Buddha statue if I ever found a girlfriend.”

A twinge of nervousness rolled through her, leaving her unable to appreciate the joke.

Bringing her directly to the elders was a bold move, one that she had not expected.

Song Yu made no move to reject the outlandish statement. To her it was better to get it over and done with.

So, she nodded.

Pleased by her acquiescence, Qi Chengzhi softly made his demand. “Give me your hand.”

Song Yu studied him, unmoving. She wasn’t sure what his motives were.

“Let me hold your hand,” he pleaded, urging her by gently tapping his fingers.

Song Yu blushed. Why did he need to touch her? They were just holding hands; did he have to behave so fervidly, as if his fingers were grazing a different, more intimate part of her?

She never felt anxious about holding his hand, but something about the way he said it this time caused a flutter of desire to form in her chest.

Timidly, she placed her hands on the table. He reached for them, and began to stroke. Yearning gripped her.

“Grandfather and Grandmother Qi will be easier to deal with than my parents. If we manage to convince them, my parents will cease to be a problem,” he declared as he caressed her hand.

Once she understood his motive, the nervousness she felt vanished. Relief washed over her, born from the shelter found beneath his wings. All her problems, all her insecurities, all her worries vanished merely by being beside him.

…

…

Upon finishing the steamboat, Song Yu told him that she felt glutted. In response, they both descended the flights of stairs through the mall, completely ignoring the elevator. The walk to the car park helped ease the indigestion.

Song Yu had merely glanced at the wares as they had walked through the mall. She had no intention of making a purchase, but all the intention to spend as much time as she was able to with Qi Chengzhi.

As they had passed by a designer outlet, Qi Chengzhi had caught sight of Jian Yi handing his sister a knee-length, white cashmere coat.

The article of clothing had looked uncannily similar to a piece Song Yu owned.

Squinting, he had gripped Song Yu’s hand tightly.

“What is it?” Song Yu had asked curiously, sensing his distress.

“Nothing,” Qi Chengzhi had replied. Turning towards her and blocking her line of sight, he had simply continued gripping her hand and leading her away.

…

…

Qi Chengyue donned the white coat over her pink dress. It complemented her chestnut brown tresses and fair complexion well. She looked young and radiant, almost resembling the cover girl of a popular pop magazine.

“Do I look pretty?” Qi Chengyue gave a twirl before facing Jian Yi, who was perched on a sofa. Her broad smile revealed her two dimples.

Jian Yi watched, bewildered for a moment. The white coat was something he had picked up whilst lackadaisically going through the store.

Song Yu owned a similarly designed coat. The two coats were distinct close-up, but from afar they looked identical.

Jian Yi was immediately drawn to it. He had taken it off the rack and handed it to Qi Chongyue without a second thought.

For a split second he had seen Song Yu, but the emergence of the dimples caused the illusion to vanish.

Disappointed, he hesitantly replied, “Very nice.”

Qi Chengyue was delighted. She thought him to be bewildered by her beauty and decided to purchase the coat.

…

…

That night, Jian Yi went to Song Yu’s house.

He knew that she would not want to see him, but he just could not help it. He was unable to accept the moment of intimacy that he had witnessed.

Didn’t she like him?

He knew that she had liked him, so, how could she just turn to another without a second thought?

Filled with longing, he stood at her front door. He stayed there for a moment before mustering up the courage to knock.

He knocked until his knuckles were red, but no one answered.

He turned around, ready to leave, when he heard the door clicked open.

“Young man, are you looking for Song Yu?” Aunt Zhang asked.

“Is she not in?” Jian Yi asked.

“Don’t you know she moved to her boyfriend’s house?” Aunt Zhang replied.

After she uttered those words, Jian Yi’s expression shifted from one of civility to anger. Aunt Zhang, terrified by the alteration, made to shut the door.

“When did she move out?” demanded Jian Yi, closing in. He tried to control his anger by clenching his fists.

“Yesterday! She has a rather handsome boyfriend, all tall and elegant. And, according to my husband, the car he drives costs a few million dollars. You’re looking–” before Aunt Zhang could finish, Jian Yi stormed away, his eyes bulging.

Aunt Zhang patted her chest, feeling shocked. “Who was that man? He’s quite scary.”

Jian Yi dashed to his car. Feeling winded, he felt a deep pain in his chest. However, the agony that seeped deep into the marrow of his bones was not one caused by running.

This excruciating pain was ten times worse than anything that could be caused by that.

Opening the glove compartment, Jian Yi took out the pack of cigarettes he had bought from the convenience store.

Recalling the way Qi Chengzhi had appeared when he smoked, he had bought the pack, along with a lighter, without any further consideration.

He removed the plastic seal and took a stick. The foreignness of the action caused him to fumble as he tried to light the cigarette. After a few tries, the stick was lit.

His first drag made him choke. It was the wrong technique. His chest was aflame, the smoke caught in his throat choking him.

He coughed desperately, all while holding onto the cigarette. He buried his face into the arm that was clutching the steering wheel.

All the coughing brought tears into his eyes. The more he coughed, the more the tears gathered. Soon his sleeves were drenched, and he did not want to think about how many of those tears were truly caused by coughing.

…

…

When Song Yu arrived at the office the next morning, she was greeted by the sight of a group of architects gathering around Yan Yushu’s table. He was a new architect at the firm. They were all chatting, causing quite the scene.

“It’s so nice to be young. A time when romance isn’t dead. My husband doesn’t even care about these gestures anymore. I bet that he doesn’t even know what day it is. We have never once celebrated our wedding anniversary, let alone Valentine’s Day. But back in the day, when we were still dating, we even celebrated our monthsaries. Xiao Yang, just enjoy it all while you’re still young. You won’t be able to in the future.”

“What’s happening there?” Song Yu asked Ruan Danchen, who was located beside her table.

Every year, after the Spring Festival, the company would reorganize the staff seating. This year, Song Yu was seated beside Ruan Danchen.

“Yang Yunshu received a huge bouquet of roses this morning. From the looks of it, I’m guessing there are at least forty to fifty flowers. Aren’t roses especially expensive during Valentine’s Day? It probably costs more than a thousand dollars for such a big bouquet. That’s why everyone’s gathering around his desk. But not all of them are there to admire it; some are there out of spite,” Ruan Danchen said softly.

Song Yu laughed. She had forgotten that today was Valentine’s Day.

“How do you guys plan to spend Valentine’s Day?” Ruan Danchen asked. Knowing Qi Chengzhi, he would take this day seriously.

“Plan?” Song Yu was baffled. Putting aside her own forgetfulness, she was certain that Qi Chengzhi could not care for the day.

This morning, he had behaved in his regular cool, composed demeanor. Even if he had known it was Valentine’s, he had not betrayed it.

Furthermore, he had informed her as he was dropping her off, that tonight he had some important events to attend, therefore it would be Chang Lai who would be picking her up.

It definitely seemed like he had no plans for Valentine’s Day!

It was partly because of Qi Chengzhi’s disposition she had forgotten about Valentine’s.

“Isn’t this your first Valentine’s as a couple?!” Ruan Danchen was doubtful as to their commitment toward each other.

As they were talking, a delivery boy came in, holding an enormous bouquet of Blue Enchantress Hydrangeas. “Is there a Miss Song Yu here?” he called out over the din.

The office was already filled with women, attracted by the roses. To make matters worse, most of them were gossip mongers.

The delivery man’s voice immediately attracted all attention.

Song Yu felt a shiver running from her head to her toes. Ruan Danchen poked her and said softly, “Never thought that Qi Chengzhi was such a romantic!”

Song Yu was not expecting any flowers, and her bouquet was far bigger than that received by Yang Yunshu. Could this morning have all been an act?

Giving it some thought, she came to the conclusion that it fitted his manner of handling things.

She had signed the receipt and taken the flowers when Qi Zhengzhi’s call came in.

Song Yu placed the flowers on the table, unable to resist the smile that lit her face.

Although she had forgotten Valentine’s, her heart would still have filled with envy and hurt whenever she saw others receiving gifts from their significant others. Though she would never voice such things to Qi Chenzhi.

It took her by surprise; that such a reserved man could come up with such a romantic gesture.

She answered the call, her voice poignant and soft. “I received your flowers. They’re beautiful. I thought you had forgotten what day it is today.”

From the other side, the line was silent. And it remained silent for quite some time.

“Why did you accept it without checking who sent it?” demanded Qi Chengzhi bluntly.

Song Yu sat stunned, before she felt a slight tugging on her sleeve. Turning, she saw Ruan Danchen pull a card from the bouquet and hold it out to her.

‘This is to apologize for the Red Roof incident. I hope you will forgive me. If you do, please give me a call.’

It was signed off by Li Zhuoan. His handwriting was neat with a masculine edge to it. It was almost beautiful.