Chapter 193 - Going After Cinderellas of Humble Births; Does He Intend to Play a Prince Now? (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He figured that Qi Chengyue might not want to sit with Huang Ziyue, understanding where her sudden request had come from. Qi Chengyue was afraid that he would be at a disadvantage in front of Huang Ziyue.
He could not help but shake his head and smile. The front seat obviously could not go to Huang Ziyue, so it had to be Qi Chengyue’s.
Out of habit, Huang Ziyue approached the front seat. Qi Chengyue, however, abruptly shoved her aside and claimed her place.
Huang Ziyue frowned. A lady from a noble family fighting for a seat like someone using public transportation– how inelegant.
Qi Chengyue did not care about her opinion. Once she got into the car, she immediately shut the door.
Disgruntled, Huang Ziyue looked up to see Cheng Dongge barely hiding a grin. She was stunned.
Cheng Dongge turned to her, wiped away his smile, and asked her coolly, “Aren’t you getting in?”
Huang Ziyue was in shock. She had been waiting for Cheng Dongge to open the door for her, but he only walked to the driver’s seat and climbed in.
Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside.
Song Yu watched the whole scene unfold in a daze. “Chengyue, she—”
“Cheng Dongge is a pretty good guy,” Qi Chengzhi interrupted calmly.
Song Yu remained speechless.
…
…
In the car, Qi Chengyue stared at the plush toys hanging off the car roof. They were as big as her palm and made the car feel warm and cozy.
Following Qi Chengyue’s gaze, Huang Ziyue murmured from the back seat, “I didn’t think you would keep all these toys.”
Cheng Dongge flicked his gaze upward and said, “I don’t notice them, so I forgot to take them down.”
Qi Chengyue raised her arms and plucked down all the toys. She tossed them into Huang Ziyue’s lap. “Since you’re here, you might as well take them all back. I can’t reach the ones at the back so please help yourself.”
Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth. Without moving, she began, “Dongge–”
Cheng Dongge turned to Qi Chengyue and said, “You can take the ones hanging on the rearview mirror, too.”
Only after did he turn to Huang Ziyao, asking, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” Huang Ziyue looked down, her expression cold. Every so often, she would glance at Qi Chengyue sitting in the front seat.
In the past, that seat had been hers.
Qi Chengyue gladly removed all the decorations hanging on the rearview mirror. Then, as per Cheng Dongge’s instructions, she took down every single thing that belonged to Huang Ziyue.
Suddenly, the car felt significantly emptier.
Qi Chengyue realized that, for the past three years, Huang Ziyue had fully integrated herself into every corner of Cheng Dongge’s life.
They arrived at Cheng Dongge’s house; one he had bought himself. The approximately a hundred and forty square meter house had three rooms and two halls. It was large enough to comfortably house two people.
As Qi Chengyue entered his home, she realized there were still hints of Huang Ziyue’s presence. For instance, many things around the house carried a feminine touch; the pillows on the sofa, the cartoon flower-themed cover on the tissue box… these were clearly the influences of Huang Ziyue.
Just as Huang Ziyue was about to enter the bedroom, Cheng Dongge’s deep, hoarse voice asked, “Where are you going?”
“The bedroom. My clothes and undergarments are all in there, aren’t they?” Whether intentionally or not, Huang Ziyue shot a glance at Qi Chengyue as she spoke.
Qi Chengyue took it as a demonstration, as if she was boasting, “I shared a room with this man, slept on his bed, and experienced an intimate three years with him.
“His undergarments, I’ve seen them all.”
Surprisingly, Cheng Dongge said, “I knew you would come back for your stuff someday, so I took the liberty of packing them for you. They’re in the guest room.”
Huang Ziyue was shocked. She stood frozen on the spot. It was all too much to endure. Her fingers curled tightly into fists. She had not expected Cheng Dongge to be so keen, as if their breakup had meant nothing to him at all.
They had been together for three years, and even discussed marriage. How was he so composed?
She felt like a beggar, whom he could not wait to kick out.
Could it be that after their breakup, he had packed her things in a hurry, impatient for the day he could rid her from his life?
Huang Ziyue realized that her assumption of Cheng Dongge as someone who would not be able to recover from a setback was wrong. There was not a hint of desolation on his face, and he was full of vigor and energy as usual. He was now much more distant toward her, and his expressions had become harder to decipher. Finally, she could experience the stress others felt when facing him. It was not something she had ever felt when they were dating.
The fact that he had uttered those words in front of Qi Chengyue, made it all the worse.
“This way.” Stoically, Cheng Dongge pointed toward the guest room and lead the way. Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth, but she followed. She then realized that Qi Chengyue was not following them; she had gone straight to the living room and sat down, observing the room in detail.
Once the guest room was opened, she saw her belongings all packed into cardboard boxes– two big boxes and a small one– stacked neatly against the wall.
“There are drinks in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever you like.” She listened to Cheng Dongge’s voice from behind her, thinking he still cared. When she turned around, however, she saw that he had his head angled toward the living room. He had been talking to Qi Chengyue.
Her heart ached. Even though she had been the one to dump him, she still wished he missed her. She wanted to have an irreplaceable spot in his heart.
Qi Chengyue went to the kitchen but only poured two glasses of water. She handed one to Cheng Dongge. They did not speak, but seemed like they had good chemistry, as if they were an old married couple.
Huang Ziyue answered her phone. “Alright.”
She moved the phone away a little and asked Cheng Dongge, “Umm… Someone is here to fetch me. Can I ask him to come up? I can’t move all these by myself.”
“Of course.” Cheng Dongge nodded.
Huang Ziyue said a few more words, then announced the house number.
Not long after she hung up, the doorbell rang.
Cheng Dongge opened the door. Qi Chengyue heard them greet each other at the door. The other man even addressed him as “Mr. Cheng”.
How courteous.
Qi Chengyue raised an eyebrow. If this man was Huang Ziyue’s new boyfriend, then his status was not high either!
The man followed behind Cheng Dongge. He was quite young and wearing formal clothing, but they were obviously not haute couture.
The man’s face was jejune and did not display the pride nor arrogance typical of those from a high social circle. Qi Chengyue was puzzled. Abruptly, the man cried in surprise, “Miss Qi!”
“You know me?” Qi Chengyue asked, perplexed.
The man gave a polite smile and said, “I’m Young Master Gao’s chauffeur, Xian Zhang.”
“Young Master Gao?” Qi Chengyue frowned. She did not know any ‘Young Master Gao’. She thought back on the people she knew who had the surname Gao. She blinked. “Gao Jingqiu?”
“Yes.” Xiao Zhang nodded.
“Turns out Miss Huang is Gao Jingqiu’s girlfriend– your Young Master Gao seems to have changed his taste again!” Qi Chengyue gave a spurious smile. “Going after Cinderellas of humble births; does he intend to play a prince now?”
Gao Jingqiu was a notorious playboy. His background was acceptable and his family was of average social status, but he was no match for Li Zhouan. Yet, he changed girlfriends every other day– from actors to young models, all of whom lasted not more than two months.
Awkwardly, Xiao Zhang glanced at the antagonized Huang Ziyue from his peripherals. At last, he laughed, not refuting her barb.
The truth was, Gao Jingqiu had said during a friends’ gathering that his relationship with Huang Ziyue was just for fun. However, Huang Ziyue was taking it seriously.
“Why didn’t Gao Jingqiu come up?” Qi Chengyue asked.
“Young Master Gao has matters to attend to tonight, so he didn’t come,” Xiao Zheng replied awkwardly.
“Oh, how generous of Gao Jingqiu. His girlfriend came to her ex-fiancé’s house, and he’s not afraid something might happen?” Qi Chengyue asked, her gaze flitting to Huang Ziyue mockingly.