Sporting a black Burberry windbreaker, he looked tall and stylish; the garment accentuating his slender frame. It made his long legs even longer. It was as though he was an unfinished work of art.
His hands were stuffed into the pockets of the windbreaker, as he stood there looking at her in silence. It felt as if he had been waiting for her all his life.
Song Yu"s eyes began to p.r.i.c.kle, and she felt a hotness coming from within. She ran toward Qi Chengzhi. Without hesitation, she threw herself into his embrace. She did not even slow down or stop when she was standing in front of him.
"Didn"t I tell you to go back home?" She buried her face in his chest, greedily inhaling his scent.
"Didn"t I say I"d wait here for you?" He removed his hands from his pockets and held her tightly. Then, he planted a kiss on her forehead and breathed into her hair.
"If I was to stay here and have lunch, were you going to wait and let yourself go hungry?" His love for her was overbearing and intransigent. At times, that intransigency led him to have a foolish, one-track mind.
He could hear from her voice that something was not quite right. His slender fingers ran through her hair, and he then lifted her head up to see her reddened eyes.
Tears were not trickling down, but her rabbit red eyes made him frown.
"What happened?" His voice turned low.
Song Yu shook her head. Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips and said, "Let"s go to the car."
He led her to the front pa.s.senger seat and helped her in, before going back to the driver seat.
He was in no rush to start the car. Turning to her, he observed her carefully and asked, "Are you really that emotional because I waited for you here?"
Song Yu blushed because that was part of the reason.
Qi Chengzhi sighed and did away with his teasing tone. "What"s wrong exactly? Did you get into an argument with your parents?"
Song Yu shook her head. "My dad"s okay, but my mom... she still needs some time to accept all this. My dad"s trying to console her now. It"s just… this whole thing made her angry and I feel like I"ve disappointed her. Back home, I said a few things that may have been harsh. She wants the best for me, but I…"
Song Yu struggled to continue talking. She watched as Qi Chengzhi"s fair and elegant hand covered hers.
He kept quiet and did not pledge anything to her. To begin with, he was never an emotional man, who would say all sorts of overly-sentimental things. Instead, his grip on her hand was unusually firm, as though he was afraid that she would not understand his intentions.
"What did you and Grandma talk about just now?" Song Yu changed the topic.
Qi Chengzhi retracted his hand and started the car. He got into gear and started driving, before replying unenthusiastically, "Nothing out of the ordinary. The gist of it was this: if I really had my heart set on you, and if I promised to give her great-grandchildren, she"d support us."
In truth, however, the old lady said something else. She had wanted him to guarantee that Song Yu would still choose to stay with him, instead of divorcing him if the truth behind the Song family"s bankruptcy ever came to light. If he could do that, Grandmother Qi would not forbid him from consorting with her.
Having said that, if he himself had no faith that Song Yu would continue to be with him should that day come, then it would be best for him to sever ties with Song Yu as soon as possible.
Qi Chengzhi glanced at Song Yu. His hand left the joystick and reached over to hold her hand in his steady grip.
"Weren"t you supposed to have lunch at home? You came down pretty early. Have you finished eating?" His voice, though rich, was not at all loud. His thumb meanwhile, was caressing the back of her hand gently.
"When we were eating, my mom told me to move back with them. She knows that I"m staying with you now." As soon as she completed her sentence, she could feel him tightening his grip.
Knowing that he had misunderstood things, Song Yu used her other hand to cover his and rubbed it gently.
The skin of hand was delicate, enabling her to feel his bones. His bluish-green veins were visible through the fair skin.
"Things weren"t too bad at first, but, because I declined to move back with them, the whole atmosphere made me lose my appet.i.te," she replied softly and looked up at his handsome features.
He loosened his grip on her hand, allowing his expression to relax. Then he caressed her delicate, small hands, "What do you want to have for lunch?"
"Are you hungry? If you"re not too hungry, let"s go home. I"ll cook for you." Song Yu stared at his gorgeous face and decided that she wanted to treat him especially well. It was rare that a man as handsome as he would go as far as neglecting himself for her.
She felt that there was not much she could do for him, but if it there was anything that she was capable of doing, she was willing to do it for him.
"You"ve become very fond of cooking for me recently." Qi Chengzhi looked at her and chuckled.
His chuckle made all traces of sternness disappear from his thin lips, just like dark clouds opening up to reveal a clear sky.
He initially thought that Song Yu would blush and refuse to reply because of her shyness. However, despite her blus.h.i.+ng, she responded openly with an "Mm." Her forward a.s.sent was not something that he had considered.
Qi Chengzhi instantly tightened his grip on her hand. Her response was a pleasant surprise that lightened his mood. He brought her hand to his lips and gently pressed a couple of kisses.
"Let"s go home then," Qi Chengzhi said.
The two of them went back to Viewpark Residence. It was a Sunday, so Aunt Yang had the day off and had gone home. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only ones in the house.
The couple went into the room and changed into their house clothes. Despite living together and involving each other in nearly everything, she still felt embarra.s.sed to change right in front of him. Thus, Song Yu took her clothes and went to the changing room.
After changing her top, she proceeded to change her pants. It was then that the door to the changing room clicked open. She turned and grabbed her pants, but Qi Chengzhi came in before she had the chance to put them on.
Once he entered, the changing room felt as congested as a small warehouse.
Qi Chengzhi"s enigmatic, pitch-black eyes leisurely savored her body. His eyes travelled from the crown of her head to her bare feet.
Her top barely reached her waist, allowing one to glimpse her belly-b.u.t.ton if she were to slightly raise her arms.
Song Yu felt hot under his intense gaze. The pants in her hand went forgotten, as she lost her train of thought.
"I"m changing. Why did you come in?" she asked softly, trembling.
Qi Chengzhi kept quiet. Reaching over, his pale slender fingers closed over her pants, plucking them out of her hands and discarding them. He then took a step forward, and placed his rough palms on her waist, caressing her silky-smooth skin.
His hands drifted from her waist to the small of her back, tracing circles with his fingers. Her body was pressed flush against him, as his parted lips brushed the sh.e.l.l of her ear.
It was an undeniable fact that the old lady"s words still had an effect on Qi Chengzhi, albeit, not till the point of compromising his feelings. Of course, breaking up was not an option, but it did not deter the worry he felt when she would discover the truth. He did not know how she would react.
His discovery of her argument with her parents simply exacerbated these feelings. She had even defended him from Yu Qianying"s harsh words. She had remained firm and resolute in her defence because it had involved Qi Chengzhi.
He felt grateful and pa.s.sionate by her trust and the high opinion she held of him. However, he was wary of the possibility that the more faith she placed in him, the more disappointed she would be when she found out the truth.
When they were in the car earlier, he had wanted fuse her to him as he held her in his embrace. He had wanted to be in her; and, throughout the journey, he had kept those desires at bay.
She trembled and blushed when she felt his aggressiveness. "You don"t wanna eat anymore?"
"Feed "him" first, until "he" is satisfied." Resting his jade stalk against her, he gave a gentle nudge. She gasped, sudden and harsh, burying her efflorescent face into his chest.
Arching upwards she brushed a kiss against his lips, as she circled her arms around him.
After all that happened that day, all she wanted was to have him.
Qi Chengzhi"s shoulders tensed as he seized her waist, lifting her up and fervidly pressing his lips against hers.
One of the things he particularly liked about her was her penchant for not feigning aloofness or pretending to be shy in moments like this. She would always follow her heart"s desires. If she wanted to do something, she would do it. There would be no attempt on her part to try and mask her intentions.
Through her actions, she told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted him, l.u.s.ted for him.
Qi Chengzhi kissed her pa.s.sionately, not breaking even for a breath. He let himself loose and took everything she had.
Song Yu let out a moan and clung to his neck, her hair cascading around them.
In the end, Song Yu had no idea when she was brought to the bed. Her brain was blank, and all she could remember was how rough he had been with her. She was spent.
Qi Chengzhi was still hugging her tightly, showering her with kisses that landed on her eyes, her nose, her ears, and, finally, her lips.
Her eyes half lidded, Song Yu languorously stretched out. He had slammed into her with a ruthless, ardent ferocity. She had taken all of him with adoring tear-stained eyes.
Her eyelashes, wet with tears, were thick and black. It was as though she had applied a fresh layer of mascara. Framing her misty eyes, they were like a pair of black handheld fans.
Her moist lips were slightly parted, as she was still lost in the post-coital haze. Her cheeks were a charming, tender red, inducing Qi Chengzhi to kiss her continuously. Back and forth he went, from her misty eyes, to her pink cheeks, then to her lips. He kissed them again and again, without stopping.
Song Yu was so exhausted that she did not even want to move a single muscle. She simply submitted herself to him and allowed him to continue kissing her. As embarra.s.sed as she was, exhaustion hindered her desire to protest.
She tiredly perched her hands on his back, absent-mindedly stroking up and down, her fingertips barely sensing the smooth sinuous muscles they grazed.
Seeing how obedient she was, Qi Chengzhi"s eyes flashed with mischief. His lips traveled downward and he pressed into her, wanting more. Song Yu, however, kicked his calf.
"I don"t have any more energy. I"m hungry." She originally wanted to cook lunch for him, but he had had other ideas. By the time he had satiated those ideas, Song Yu was completely devoid of strength. He had made her both tired and hungry.
Qi Chengzhi abruptly jerked up, and pulled her so tightly to him that the entirety of her back was nearly lifted off the bed.
He pressed his lips against her nape, caressing her sensitive skin. His voice had a hint of untamed pa.s.sion when he said, "I really wish I could fuse my bones to yours."
Song Yu was blank for quite some time. His l.u.s.tful voice was somewhat authoritarian, but, at the end of the day, everything he said was a testament to how much he cared for her. His caresses on her neck made her feel excited. She hugged him tightly and pressed her face into his shoulder. Rubbing him gently, she breathed in his heady musk, feeling her body ignite as she did so.
"If it"s you, then I want the same thing, too," she remarked. Upon completing her sentence, her mind went blank, and she could not believe that those words had escaped her mouth.
It was something she had always kept deep inside her heart. For the longest time, she had been too embarra.s.sed to say it out loud, but, whenever she was with him, those words had manifested themselves in her every action.
At that moment, neither of them had any energy left. Even Qi Chengzhi was so tired that he did not want to get up. He spooned her, lying comfortably on the bed.
Hunger finally set in, and it was then that Qi Chengzhi went down to the kitchen. Rummaging through the shelf, he found two bowls of instant noodles. He boiled some water, prepared the noodles, then brought them up to the room.
While Song Yu was eating the noodles, she recalled their conversation in the car that morning. It would have been much better if they had eaten some appetizers at some restaurant somewhere, rather than having to end up eating instant noodles. It was pitiable when she thought about it.
After finis.h.i.+ng the noodles, she looked at Qi Chengzhi"s blank expression.
His usually handsome face did not look too well, and he seemed particularly restrained.
"Let"s indulge ourselves and spend the day in bed. We"ll just cook some instant noodles if we get hungry," Qi Chengzhi said while throwing himself over Song Yu and lying back down. She was not even given the slightest chance to object to him.
The next day, Song Yu had eyebags and bloodshot eyes when she went to work. She and Qi Chengzhi really did spend the whole day in bed, but they did not just lie there doing nothing. QI Chengzhi had spent the whole day doing her, and had, therefore, not given her much opportunity to rest.
If things continued as they were, she would start worrying for Qi Chengzhi"s health.
Song Yu was aware that she was just an ordinary girl, not some devastatingly beautiful woman. She did not understand what it was that drove his fervor.
She was not able to concentrate properly at work that day. It took her two cups of coffee—one on either side of noon—to be able to get through the day.
During her arrival at work in the morning, Ruan Danchen saw her, and raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Say, what did you do this weekend? Why do you look so tired? From what I can see, it looks like you"ve indulged in bedroom activities a bit too much! Were you and Qi Chengzhi staying at home all weekend, rolling around in bed? If so, that"s a pretty naughty lifestyle you both have! Qi Chengzhi looks fine now, but, if you keep sucking him dry, won"t he become all thin and skinny pretty soon?"
"Can"t you be more decent, please?!" Song Yu blushed, but she would certainly not admit that Ruan Danchen had gotten it right on the first guess. "I was watching TV until late last night."
Ruan Danchen had not expected to hit the nail on the head with the guess. Judging by Qi Chengzhi"s temperament, she would never have never thought him to be extremely l.u.s.tful. She did not take herself too seriously with the question, and, after making light of it, did not press Song Yu for further details.
In the afternoon, Song Yu received a call from the front desk, saying that a woman named Yu Keyao—who claimed to be Song Yu"s cousin sister—was looking for Song Yu.
Song Yu c.o.c.ked her eyebrow. She did not expect Yu Keyao to come to her workplace. Truly, that woman and her mother were as annoying as herbal plasters.
Surmising that Yu Keyao"s intentions of coming over were likely the same as her mother"s, Song Yu simply did not want to waste her time by arguing with her. She told the front desk, "Tell her I"m not in. If she comes back again in the future, tell her the same thing."
Song Yu did not know how many times Yu Keyao might return, but Song Yu"s guess was that this would be far from the last time. Being the pampered daughter that she was, Yu Keyao would not just get off her high horse and stop pestering Song Yu.
It did not take long for Song Yu to drop the matter and treat it as though nothing had happened.
She headed down after work. Just as she reached, she received a call from Qi Chengzhi.
"I"m stuck in a traffic jam. I"ll be a bit late." Qi Chengzhi"s voice came from the other side of the line. "Just wait inside the company. Don"t come down just yet. I"ll call you once I"m there."
"Okay. No need to rush," Song Yu replied before turning and heading back inside to wait in her office.
However, a soft voice called out from behind, "Big Sis."
Song Yu turned around and saw Yu Keyao strutting over. The latter had a faint smile on her face, one that was characteristic of her status as the young lady of a prestigious family.
Song Yu"s expression soured immediately, and she spoke into the phone. "I"m hanging up now."
"Big Sis, when did you come back? Why didn"t I see you coming back?" After a leisurely walk, Yu Keyao stood in front of Song Yu. Her hands, clutching her handbag, were arranged in front of her.
"Oh, I was always here. I just didn"t have the time to see you," Song Yu smiled insipidly while maintaining a hostile tone.
Song Yu could find no reason to be amicable towards someone like Yu Keyao, who l.u.s.ted after her man. It was the same with Yu Keyao"s mother, who was so deluded, she had the insolence to pay Song Yu"s parents a "visit".
Yu Keyao, who sported a pleasant, affable smile, froze immediately. Her lips twitched slightly, before she delicately tucked a tress behind her ear. She then smiled awkwardly and asked, "Big Sis, do you think poorly of me?"
Without even bothering to uphold her smile, Song Yu coldly declared, "If there"s nothing else, I"ll head back to my office."
She turned to leave, but, before she could take a step, Yu Keyao seized her wrist.
Yu Keyao appeared soft and gentle, but the force of her grip was tremendous. Song Yu"s hand throbbed with the force of Yu Keyao"s grip. Song Yu frowned and wondered if she was doing it on purpose.
"Big Sis, is this about Big Brother Chengzhi?" Song Yu did not bother turning, but she could hear Yu Keyao"s soft voice from behind. The voice was so innocent and meek, a sharp contrast to her iron grip.
Song Yu was disgusted by the familiar address Yu Keyao had used, "Big Brother Chengzhi", but she had no choice but to turn and face Yu Keyao.
Yu Keyao still did not show any signs of relaxing her grip. Based on her appearance, no one would be able to guess that she was gripping Song Yu"s wrist so tightly that it hurt.
"Big Sis, can we find a place to talk?" Yu Keyao"s soft entreatment seemed sincere.
"There"s nothing for us to talk about." Song Yu tried freeing herself, but to no avail.
"Big Sis, we haven"t met each other in so many years. Treat it as a normal chat about our younger days There"s plenty of things that I want to tell you. If you"re not willing to talk with me privately, I don"t mind speaking with you right here and now. It"s all the same to me, so we can do it here, if you don"t mind people pa.s.sing by and hearing some of the more private things that I wish to tell you." Yu Keyao"s grip remained solid, as her delicate voice revealed a more threatening undertone.
Song Yu gave her a cold stare. Despite the threat, Yu Keyao"s expression remained as soft and guileless as it normally was. Looking at that face made Song Yu feel even more disgusted.
A charming smile once again crept over Yu Keyao"s lips. Song Yu took a deep breath and agreed to Yu Keyao"s demands.
When Yu Keyao let go, Song Yu noticed the presence of fresh red lines on her wrist. She ma.s.saged it softly, wincing at the sting.
The two of them then walked to the café, located on the ground floor of the building. As they were heading there, Song Yu sent Qi Chengzhi a message, informing him that she would be waiting at the café.
Yu Keyao ordered green tea, while Song Yu wanted nothing except for a gla.s.s of water. She found herself unable to drink anything else while Yu Keyao was in front of her.
Yu Keyao smiled tenderly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Big Sis, how"s your life been all these years? I was still so young when your family went bankrupt, and there was nothing I could do to help. I remember when I was young, my mom always brought me to Auntie"s place to play, and you"re the big sis that I always liked."
"It"s been all right," Song Yu replied curtly, pursing her lips.
"I looked for you because I wanted to apologize to you," Yu Keyao said, but paused when the waiter served her green tea. She continued after the waiter left. "I just found out that my mom went to Auntie"s place and said some really mean things to Uncle and Auntie. I"m apologizing on her behalf. I hope you didn"t take it to heart."
Song Yu glazed at her expressionlessly. "If it"s about that, then we"re done talking. I accept your apology, but I can"t speak for my parents."
Song Yu rose upon the completion of her sentence. Just as she was about to leave, Yu Keyao, once again, grabbed her wrist, albeit with much less force than earlier.
In spite of that, it still felt painful because of the force she had applied before. Song Yu frowned.
"Big Sis, I"m not done yet." Yu Keyao pulled Song Yu back down. "Do you really hate me that much? That you"re not even willing to sit down with me and hear me out? Whatever it may be, we"re still cousins, aren"t we?"
"What else do you have to say? I"m rus.h.i.+ng to meet someone," Song Yu retorted bluntly.
"You"re meeting Big Brother Chengzhi?" Yu Keyao smiled, glanced at Song Yu, then looked down. "Big Sis, my mother"s words may be unpleasant, but she has a point. From my observations, the Qi family seemed to have already known about the two of you before they"d set me up with him. And, since they knew all about it and still chose to arrange a blind date, it means that they don"t approve of the both of you. Since that"s the case, why must you persist so determinedly? Do you want to burden Big Brother Chengzhi and be disapproved of by the Qi family?" Yu Keyao took a few sips of tea, before using a tissue to carefully wipe the tea stains from her lips. She then smacked her lips to make sure that her lipstick was still perfect.
"Your feelings for each other may be strong now, but what if the Qi family continues to reject you? You"ll get tired of it, and you"ll feel mistreated, and you"ll complain to Big Brother Chengzhi. He might feel pity for you at first, but as time pa.s.ses, he"ll grow annoyed. The Qi family will continue to reject you and disapprove of you, and, when Big Brother Chengzhi is trapped in the middle of it, he"ll soon grow tired of it."
"You"ll start fighting more, and your love for each other will diminish. At the end of the day, no one will get the better of it, and to what end? You"ll both be sick of it. Let"s not even talk about you getting sick of it. If you watch Qi Chengzhi grow tired of everything and know that it was because of you, how could you bear it? If you really love him, you wouldn"t burden him like that."
"Big Sis, you might think that I"m saying all this just to make up an excuse for the both of you to break up, but I want the best for you. Breaking up is the most sensible thing for the both of you to do." Yu Keyao"s expression spoke of her sincerity. She extended her hands, in hopes of clasping Song Yu"s, but she thought the better of it and awkwardly retracted them.
"You done talking?" Song Yu drank a few sips of water and as she glanced at her phone; an action that conveyed her impatience.
"Big Sis. You"re incompatible with him." Yu Keyao was being really patient. Song Yu seemed to be really stubborn, and no words could sway her, so Yu Keyao"s only recourse was to advise her calmly.
"If I"m incompatible with him, who is? You?" Song Yu"s lips twitched and she scoffed sarcastically.
Yu Keyao did not get angry, but instead took a deep breath and replied patiently, "Big Sis, Big Brother Chengzhi is going to become the leader of the family someday. The Qi family has high expectations of his wife. Not just any kind-hearted person will do. They want someone that"s superior in every aspect; from their family background, to their dowry, and their social connections. That is why the Qi family asked for me."
Tucking a few strands of wayward hair behind her ear, she smiled mockingly. "Even though you"ve said what you"ve said, I still want to give you a serious answer. It"s a fact that I"m more compatible with Big Brother Chengzhi. We are compatible in almost every aspect. Even if you still had your previous status, it shouldn"t be hard to understand that I have a much better advantage than you."
"I don"t care what advantages you have. I know one thing that all your advantages cannot get you." Song Yu stood up and glanced coldly at Yu Keyao. "And that is the fact that I"m Qi Chengzhi"s girlfriend. We entered into this relations.h.i.+p with the intention to marry, and all those advantages you have are completely not worth mentioning."
Yu Keyao"s was momentarily stunned, and her lips twitched involuntarily as she exhaled a breath of air. Song Yu"s statement caused Yu Keyao to momentarily lose her composure. So, with a trembling hand, she once again moved to tuck her lock of hair as she struggled to regain her composure.
"If you really think you"re so perfect for him, tell him. Don"t tell me. Even if I wanted to break up with him, he wouldn"t allow it, so you might as well tell him all these so-called benefits of yours. I really don"t know what your reasons are for talking to me. Do you want me to back off because you mentioned all those awkward situations? Do you think that Qi Chengzhi will come running to you if I left?"
Song Yu sneered, "I"m prepared to vouch for my words and tell you this: even if I do back off, he will continue pursuing me. He"ll chase after me wherever I go. I have no say in the things that he does. So, this is the conclusion: If you want to get married to him so badly, go ahead and tell him. You are aiming for the wrong person, coming to me."
Song Yu had already reached the edge of the table when she paused, "Oh, yes. No matter what my relations.h.i.+p with Qi Chengzhi might be in the future, I"m currently his girlfriend. So, don"t always go "Big Brother Chengzhi" when you open your trap. From what I know, the both of you have never met before, and you"ve never even shared a meal with him. Wherever did your close relations.h.i.+p stem from? To the point where you"d call him "Big Brother Chengzhi"? Miss Yu, you say it so naturally that I wonder how oblivious you must be. Or maybe you"ve called countless other people the same way?"
"You…" Yu Keyao shot up, her shoulders tense.
Song Yu antic.i.p.ated that this should have broken Yu Keyao. She expected Yu Keyao to lash out in anger, but Yu Keyao simply shook her head disappointedly like one of Chiung Yao"s 1 tragic ladies. "Big Sis, I didn"t know that you hold such a low opinion of me. I"m your little sister. Must you be so unsociable by calling me Miss Yu? Also, I wasn"t the one who began calling him that. During the introduction, Auntie told me to address him as such. How can you say it like… like I"m someone who just goes around seducing other men?"
Yu Keyao let out a heavy sigh. Her gentle and placid face had turned extremely pale. "I came here today to reminisce about our shared history. I was young when it happened, and I couldn"t help you then. But, now that I have a say in my family, I can help you with whatever you need, and if you were to ask me for help, our family will help you.
But I didn"t expect that my meeting you would result in such a terrible misunderstanding. If you don"t like what I"m telling you today, then I apologize. I didn"t mean to hurt you. I only want the best for you. I"m telling you this because I want what"s best for you. Perhaps you can"t accept it now, but, someday, you will." Yu Keyao sniffled and frowned. It looked as if she were about the cry, but, instead, she forced her lips to curl upwards in a small, tight smile. As she smiled, a tiny tear, no more the size of a bean, trickled down her face.
"I still remember when I was young, mom always brought me over, and you"d always bring out your toys as well as beautiful clothes and share them with me. I always liked you as a big sister, and I treated you as though you were my own big sister, I…"
Yu Keyao stopped abruptly. Before Song Yu managed to detect that something was wrong, a hand landed on her shoulder. A familiar warmth spread through her, as she was enveloped by a warm, familiar scent.
She turned and saw Qi Chengzhi"s handsome face. Every single one of his features was flawless and exotic, albeit, austere. Nonetheless, no matter how hard she stared, she could not find a single fault.
"Why did you come here?" asked Song Yu turning to Qi Chengzhi. Yu Keyao lay forgotten by the wayside.
"I just arrived. I saw that you weren"t out yet, so I came over to take a look," Qi Chengzhi explained, smiling at her. When he smiles, the austerity of his features vanishes and what remains is a pleasant warmth, it is like the emergence of the sun after the rain.
Yu Keyao stared at him in disbelief. In those rare moments that she saw Qi Chengzhi, not once did she ever see him smile.
During their blind date, Qi Chengzhi had walked in wearing a blank look and all he had done was smoke. He had also treated her rather indifferently when she had visited him at Qilin and at the Qi family residence.
Seeing Qi Chengzhi"s smile made her heart race. How wonderful it would be if looked at her and smiled!
"You haven"t finished your conversation?" Qi Chengzhi"s gaze drifted coldly across the table and landed briefly on Yu Keyao. His smile was long gone, and what remained was the ice-cold glint of his eyes.
"Big Brother Chengzhi." Yu Keyao"s voice was soft, it was as though most of it had gotten stuck in her throat. But even then, it retained its silken quality. She quickly dabbed the tears from her face. "I had a good chat with my big sis."
Qi Chengzhi ignored her. It was as if she had not spoken. His pale fingers slid down Song Yu"s arm, trailing downwards until it reached her hand. Rubbing her hand gently, he led her past Yu Keyao.
Throughout the whole sequence of events, the icy cold stare was the only time Qi Chengzhi looked at her.
Yu Keyao stood paralyzed. Unhinged, she began shaking and biting her lower lip. When Qi Chengzhi walked past her, she yearned to take his hand and pull him away. However, she was unable to do so because Song Yu was between them.
She turned around and fixed her gaze onto Qi Chengzhi, watching as he held Song Yu"s hand and walked out of the café. When she glanced at Song Yu, she saw her receiving a kiss, she saw her receiving his smile.
"Why wasn"t he angry when he clearly saw that Song Yu made me cry?"
"He saw for himself how vicious and unreasonable Song Yu was. She scolded me like some jealous woman! But why didn"t he chastise her?!"
"His expression was still so loving and kind, as though he didn"t see anything happen at all!"
Yu Keyao gnashed her teeth and made to chase them down, but the waiter stepped in, stopping her from leaving the café. "Miss, you haven"t paid for the drinks!"
In the waiter"s eyes, Yu Keyao looked like someone who was purposely trying to avoid paying the bill.
Never in her life did Yu Keyao suffer such a despicable look. First, she had to suffer beratement at the hands of Song Yu; next came the server"s turn to look down on her. In her anger, she took out her purse from her bag and simply fished out a red banknote without looking, which she then threw to the waiter"s face. "Keep the d.a.m.n change!"
After shouting at him, she ran out of the café, but all traces of Qi Chengzhi and his Range Rover were long gone.
Qi Chengzhi was still holding Song Yu"s hands even after they were in the car. He placed her hand on his thighs, and, just beneath the fabric of his long pants, was his firm and strong muscles.
琼瑶 - Chiung Yao, the pen name of Chen Che (陈喆), a romance novelist born in Sichuan and raised in Taiwan, after her parents fled Beijing during the Second Sino-j.a.panese War. While she is highly-regarded for her works, they are sometimes criticized for their extreme melodrama, which likely is why the author is using the a.n.a.logy for Yu Keyao. Chiung Yao is currently alive and well, at 81 years of age.