Chapter 177 - Chengyue, Come with Me, I Need to Tell You Something (2/2)
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The duo finished breakfast and walked towards the door. Qi Chengzhi grabbed the bags that contained Qi Youxuan’s presents, and he realised that they were in pretty wrapping papers. Qi Chengzhi glanced at her.
Song Yu became a little embarrassed. She was worried that he would say she did more than what she should have.
But Qi Chengzhi said nothing, and walked out of the door with both the bags.
After arriving at the house, Qi Chenglin was already there with Qi Youxuan. Qi Youxuan was watching an old action film on TV – it was showing a four-wheel-drive race.
Grandma was still at the movie set, and Grandpa was out playing chess. Neither of them were home.
Seeing Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, Qi Chenglin nodded with a dark expression. There were also light shadows under his eyes. It was obvious that he did not have a good night’s sleep due to the call from Qi Chengzhi yesterday.
“Uncle, aunty!” Qi Youxuan temporarily shifted his attention from the action film, and his butt did not leave the couch as he called. He then went back to watching TV.
Song Yu did not interrupt. Five minutes later, the end credits of the film played – that was when Qi Youxuan reluctantly turned the TV off.
After moving his attention, his big, dark eyes glowed as they landed on the two bags Song Yu left on the coffee table.
“Aunty, what are in those bags?” Qi Youxuan asked in curiosity.
“Take it out and find out yourself,” Song Yu laughed.
Without delay, Qi Youxuan’s chubby arm reached for the bags and embraced them.
The bags did not seem huge in Qi Youxuan’s arms, but they were nearly half the size of him. Watching him struggle to hug the bags, on top of his chubby body, it was an adorable sight.
Qi Youxuan moved the bags to the couch, and he supported himself with his hands as he lifted his chubby legs onto the couch. He knelt on it as he took the things out of the bags.
Once his sight landed on a particularly pretty package, Qi Youxuan’s round cheeks became flushed and turned around to look at Song Yu before asking shyly, “Aunty, is this… a present for me?”.
“Yes!” Song Yu loved Qi Youxuan’s round but good-looking face. His chubby face looked exactly like mochis, and she could not help but punched his soft dimples. That delicate touch felt all too good.
Qi Youxuan blushed even more, and his grape-like eyes were particularly sparkly. Song Yu did not wait for him to ask before saying, “Go, open them,”.
Qi Youxuan’s excited arms jumped on the gifts, but he stopped himself. It was the first time he had received such a beautifully wrapped present, and it would be a waste to tear the wrapping paper. His chubby hands carefully peeled the wrapping paper to keep it intact.
After opening it, he realised it was the racetrack he had asked for from Qi Chengzhi. Qi Youxuan looked at him in shock and asked, “You really bought it, uncle?”
Qi Chengzhi was planning to just reply coldly – he had always been that way with Qi Youxuan. But Song Yu looked over all of a sudden and glared at him as a warning in order to make him remember what she said yesterday.
Qi Chengzhi nodded and forced himself to say a few extra sentences, “I saw a toy store on the way here, so I went in to ask about it. This is the last one,”.
“Thank you uncle!” Qi Youxuan shouted in excitement.
Song Yu took the box and put it on the coffee table before saying, “There’s one more, I bought it,”.
Qi Youxuan carefully peeled off the other wrapping paper. The moment he saw the drawing on the box, he shouted “It’s the 30th anniversary edition!” before even opening it.
“You knew that?” Song Yu was surprised. Seeing the look on Qi Youxuan’s face, she knew she bought the right thing.
Qi Youxuan nodded with strength. His short and chubby hands opened the box – he still had to put the four-wheel toy together himself. The little guy cautiously touched the wheels, the base, the outer case, and the other parts.
“Most of the boys in our class have the one in the action film just now. But because Grandpa already bought me one last year, I did not dare to ask him for the new one when the movie came out this year. Otherwise, I would be lectured,”.
Song Yu could imagine. To be real, children are more competitive than adults. Adults would not show much of their competitiveness even if they felt it, but children would unapologetically show it in their actions.
For a competitive kid, if he was the only one who had the old model while the others had the new four-wheel toy, he would be uneasy and sad about it. On top of that, he would have to tolerate the other kids who showed theirs off, as well as the teasing and bullying.
“Aunty, no one in the kindergarten has this yet!” Qi Youxuan seemed pure and honest when he was excited. His usual cunning antics were nowhere to be seen.
“As long as you like it,” Song Yu was glad that she picked the right gift, as her fingers ran through his hair.
Qi Youxuan looked at his presents, then looked at Song Yu as tears filled his eyes. Everyone in the family treated him well, but no one knew what he liked as much as Song Yu did.
“Aunty!” Qi Youxuan ran into Song Yu’s arms. “Why can’t you be my stepmother!”
Aunty loved and cared for him. With her as his stepmother, it would feel exactly like having a biological mom. He would not need to worry being abused by a strange stepmom in the future.
“…” Qi Chengzhi watched.
Qi Youxuan hugged Song Yu tightly. Qi Chengzhi had enough of it, got up and walked over, and dragged him by the back of his collar. “That’s enough, go play with your toys.”
Qi Youxuan mumbled something, moved his little butt down the couch, and ran while hugging his presents.
Qi Chenglin still seemed a little down. Looking at Song Yu, he was about to speak up – but the doorbell rang.
Aunty Liu opened the door and was heard saying, “Miss. Sir,”.
A while later, Qi Chengyue and Jianyi walked inside together.
After what she learnt yesterday, Song Yu unconsciously began to observe the interaction between Qi Chengyue and Jianyi. Since the moment they walked in, they never looked at each other – not even once.
It was expected of Jianyi – she knew he had been using Qi Chengyue and he never gave her his heart. There would not be any display of affection from him.
But Qi Chengyue always liked Jianyi. This time, she acted as if he was invisible.
If two people were in love with each other, they would definitely look at each other at some point in time, or exchange glances, or make a few moves.
But none of these were seen on Jianyi and Qi Chengyue.
“Big brother. Brother,” Jianyi briefly called, and his sight landed on Song Yu – as if he wanted to find out something.
Song Yu could not help but lift her eyebrow – could it be that Jianyi was observing her reaction after what happened yesterday?
Qi Chenglin only responded with a cold nod. Jianyi did not mind – Qi Chenglin was always this way with him anyway.
None of them spoke after that.
Qi Chenglin said nothing until Jianyi’s phone rang. He walked out to take the call, and Qi Chenglin said, “Chengyue, come with me. I need to tell you something,”.
“What’s up, why so serious?” Qi Chengyue said nonchalantly and followed Qi Chenglin.
The duo entered the study, and Qi Chengyue closed the door behind them upon Qi Chenglin’s request.
Qi Chenglin sat on the couch and pointed to the seat next to him, “Sit,”.
“Brother, what is so serious?” Qi Chengyue asked as she walked over to sit.
Qi Chenglin had a dark expression on his face and did not speak for some time. He touched his pocket, and remembered he left his cigarettes in the car as no smoking was allowed in the house.
Qi Chenglin sighed, and retold the story of Guan Xiaolin shopping with Zhou Mingyan at the mall yesterday – but he did not mention that Song Yu was the one who witnessed it.
“Brother, you were working overtime in your office, how could you have seen my mother-in-law at the mall?” Qi Chengyue asked. She believed him – but she wanted evidence.
The credit card held by Zhou Mingyan was created using Qi Chengyue’s identity card. The moment Zhou Mingyan swiped the card yesterday, Qi Chengyue received a message notification for it. Even though the message did not reveal the location of the transaction, but it could have something to do with what Qi Chenglin was saying.
Qi Chenglin glanced over, weighed his options, and decided to tell the truth. “Song Yu was the one who told me. Yesterday she went to the mall with her mother and saw them. Zhou Mingyan looked a little frightened when she bumped into them. Zhou Mingyan is not a bright woman – her first reaction can’t trick anyone.”