Chapter 248: You Were Hugging My Arm, So I Couldn"t Move
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Qi Chengzhi quietly withdrew his arm from her embrace and started the car. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove out.
He glanced at Song Yu and saw she had stopped leaning toward him, so he said, “I wanted to change the gear just now. You were hugging my arm, so I couldn"t move.”
Song Yu took the hint and immediately clung to his arm again. She leaned her head on his shoulder and turned around to kiss him at the corner of his mouth. “Hubby you"re really good.”
Then, she rested her head on his shoulder again.
Q Chengzhi smirked. He felt that she was growing increasingly seductive.
Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue took the earliest plane on Sat.u.r.day to Li City. They brought many bags of different sizes and carried many things.
When they reached the district where Cheng Dongge"s parents were living, it was already half-past ten.
The weather was warm and pleasant. At this time, a lot of residents would be chatting with each other in the neighborhood. The female neighbor, whom they had met last time, was also around. This was the first time the other residents would meet Qi Chengyue.
“Dongge, you brought your wife back!” Everyone spun around in astonishment.
This time, Qi Chengyue felt less embarra.s.sed than the last, as she had truly become Cheng Dongge"s girlfriend now.
“This lady is really pretty.”
“Aww, your wife was so shy. You see, she"s blus.h.i.+ng now.”
“From one look, we could see he loves her dearly. He is carrying so much stuff alone because he"s worried that she"ll be tired.”
His neighbors were chattering incessantly.
Qi Chengyue was a little embarra.s.sed. The last comment seemed to be implying that she was pampered and proud, and could not bear a little tiredness. If she were to help Cheng Dongge carry some of the things now, though, she would seem specious and farcical. She was also worried about them thinking she felt unhappy because of what they had said.
Cheng Dongge smiled and said, “Musn"t a man pampers his wife? My parents always taught me so.”
The initial neighbor who had pa.s.sed her judgement now smiled and felt sorry for her comment, so she fell silent. Cheng Dongge left with Qi Chengyue.
Sun Shaoyun welcomed Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue into the house. She was startled as Cheng Dongge did not inform her that he was coming home with Qi Chengyue. “Why all of a sudden you come back without informing us?”
Cheng Dongge did not respond. He put the stuff on the floor and said, “Chengyue bought these for all of you.”
“Why did you buy so many things?” Sun Shaoyun felt a little sorry. “Your dad went to the market; he will be back soon.”
Cheng Dongge looked at the two pairs of shoes at the entrance. “We have guests?”
“Yeah, we didn"t know you were coming back. Do you still remember Aunt Wu?” Just as Sun Shaoyun finished her question, a mother and her daughter walked toward them.
When they saw that Cheng Dongge had brought a woman back with him, they felt shocked and stared blankly at them.
Wu Mengzhen said with a smile, “Hey Dongge, do you still remember me? Long time no see. You"re getting more handsome.”
“Aunt Wu.” Cheng Dongge nodded and smiled.
“Big Brother Cheng,” A young lady around twenty years of age stood beside Wu Mengzhen.
“Dongge, do you still remember Ruiying? She always came to our house to play when we were small,” said Sun Shaoyun smiling.
Cheng Dongge did not answer her question. Instead, he said, “This is my girlfriend, Qi Chengyue.”
Wu Mengzhen and her daughter felt rather awkward.
Wu Mengzhen had come today to arrange a blind date. She had heard that Cheng Dongge was still single and thought him quite outstanding in all aspects. She showed Zhao Ruiying his photo and she was satisfied with his qualities; as Cheng Dongge"s appearance, charisma, and other features were all exceptional. Wu Mengzhen had brought Zhao Ruiying over today to introduce her to Sun Shaoyun.
Before Cheng Dongge returned home, Wu Mengzhe had been discreetly hinting to Sun Shaoyun to introduce her daughter to Cheng Dongge. Sun Shaoyun had just been about to answer when Cheng Dongge had rang the doorbell.
“Don"t stand at the entrance. Come in and sit so that we can chat,” Sun Shao Yun said hurriedly.
Qi Chengyue sensed the awkwardness and followed Cheng Dongge to the living room.
Sun Shaoyun fetched two more cups and made to serve them tea. Qi Chengyue took the teapot and said, “Aunt, let me do it.”
After she had filled Cheng Dongge"s cup with tea, she saw that the cups of Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying were also empty, so she filled them up too. Finally, she poured the tea into her cup.
Zhao Ruiying was very disappointed. It was rare to find a guy as excellent as Cheng Dongge, but he already had a girlfriend.
Wu Mengzhen laughed to break the silence. “I remember these two being so close when they were younger, Dongge always brought Ruiying hiking and to the sea, but, after they entered junior high school, they stopped playing together.”
“Mum, we were still together every day in junior high school. Weren"t you the one who thought that it was puppy love?” said a smiling Zhao Ruiying.
Wu Mengzhen guffawed. “It"s true!”
“Ruiying went to a Canadian university to further her studies, right? She graduated this year and found a job in B City.” Sun Shaoyun turned to look at Zhao Ruiying. “You"re working in Yanhui, right?”
Zhao Ruiying nodded humbly, but she appeared to be proud of it.
“I know that company. It"s a big one, and the requirements to join it are very high. Ruiying, you must be really capable to have been accepted,” praised Sun Shaoyun.
“You"re too kind,” replied Wu Mengzhen modestly. “I still have a long way to go compared to Dongge. He is the director"s special a.s.sistant of Qilin. It is a high and powerful position. That"s outstanding of him.”
“Both of you are working in B City and know each other. You should take care of Ruiying more, it is not easy for a girl to work in another part of the country.” Sun Shaoyun smiled and stopped being overly formal. She turned her head and said to Cheng Dongge, “You should be familiar with Yanhui, right?”
“Not very familiar. Chengyue is more familiar with Young Master Yan,” said Cheng Dongge nonchalantly.
Qi Chengyue glanced at him. He was definitely more familiar with Yan Beicheng, but she knew what his true purpose was, so she did not correct him, but just smiled.
“Young Master Yan? Big Brother Cheng, are you talking about the director of Yanhui? That Young Master Yan?” Zhao Ruiying was shocked. She stared at Cheng Dongge for a moment, then turned to Qi Chengyue.
She could only think of Yan Beicheng when they spoke of “Young Master Yan” and that person was related to Yanhui.
Cheng Dongge mentioned that Qi Chengyue was familiar with him. Although the family name of Qi Chengyue was “Qi”, Zhao Ruiying had not thought too much of it because the Qi Family was beyond her horizons.
Now, however, she was intrigued by the ident.i.ty of Qi Chengyue. “Miss Qi is—”
She was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.
“Excuse me, I have to answer this.” Sun Shaoyun smiled and answered the call. Her face blanched.
“We"ll come now!”
“What happened?” asked Cheng Dongge the moment she hung up.
Sun Shaoyun did not realize that tears were flowing down her cheeks. When she started talking, she realised she was near incoherent. “Your dad, he– Just now, a neighbor called… said he fainted… downstairs…”
Cheng Dongge jolted up. Qi Chengyue quickly helped Sun Shaoyun up from the sofa. She was close to a nervous breakdown, and her whole body was weak. “Aunt, is uncle downstairs?”
Sun Shaoyun was unable to answer. She was just crying and nodding.
“What should I do? What should I do?”
“Let"s go downstairs and have a look,” said Qi Chengyue. She supported all her weight and helped her walk out.
Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying followed them out.
They went downstairs and saw Cheng Zhaohui lying on the ground in the courtyard. A neighbor from the third floor was standing beside him. He dared not simply move him.
“Lao Cheng!” Sun Shaoyun ran toward him, but her legs buckled after a few steps. Fortunately, Qi Chengyue was there to catch her.
Cheng Dongge had already run to the side of Cheng Zhaohui. The neighbor said, “I don"t know why he fainted, so I didn"t not move him. I"m afraid it will aggravate his injury. I called the ambulance already.”
Cheng Zhaohui had been coming back from the market after buying groceries. The groceries were scattered on the ground around him.
There were smashed eggs, some freshly slaughtered farm chicken and fish, vegetables, fruits, and a smashed watermelon, whose red juice painted the ground.
When Cheng Zhaohui had fainted, n.o.body had dared to help him up. They had not even come to have a closer look.
Luckily this neighbor from the third floor recognized him as Cheng Zhaohui, and had then called 120[1] first before calling Sun Shaoyun.
“Thanks so much,” said Cheng Dongge.
After a while, the ambulance arrived.
The medical staff carried a stretcher out of the ambulance and carefully lifted Cheng Zhaohui onto it. Amidst the chaos, n.o.body noticed Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying following them into the ambulance.
Sun Shaoyun"s mind was occupied by Cheng Zhaohui"s health and she was not in the mood to worry about them.
After the ambulance left, some people came and picked up the things which were scattered but still in good condition.
Once they reached the hospital, the doctor examined Cheng Zhaohui and told them he had had a stroke. He needed surgical intervention, but they had to wait because they were fully booked.
After some time, Cheng Zhaohui regained consciousness. Sun Shaoyun felt extremely relieved, and it was only then that she remembered Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying.
“This– Why did you all follow us?” asked Sun Shaoyun.
“Something bad happened to Lao Cheng and we"re worried about him. If we did not wait for the results here, we would not be able to stop worrying, too! Besides, if we didn"t visit you suddenly, you wouldn"t have asked Lao Cheng to buy groceries, and he wouldn"t have fainted outside,” said Wu Mengzhen guiltily.
“It was nothing. No need to be troubled by it. If there was a health issue, it would have come to light sooner or later,” said Sun Shaoyun. She said to Cheng Dongge, “Dongge, maybe we should admit him into the hospital. We would feel more a.s.sured if he was hospitalized and we could just wait our turn for the surgery.”
“Hmm, Dongge, where is your girlfriend? When did she leave? Why did she suddenly disappear?” Wu Mengzhen looked around the ward and could not find Qi Chengyue. “Why don"t you go and look for her? Maybe she was frightened!”
Sun Shaoyun glanced at Cheng Dongge. Although she did not show it, she was slightly curious and not very happy.
How could Qi Chengyue just run off at such a crucial moment?
The door of the ward opened at this moment and Qi Chengyue walked in. She was holding a phone in her hand. She said, “Uncle, Aunt, Dongge, I have something to discuss with you all.”
Sun Shaoyun glanced at Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying. Cheng Zhaohui was still lying in bed, it was not possible to ask him to walk outside for the discussion.
This was a family matter, and Sun Shaoyun was not going to allow Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying to join their discussion.
Wu Mengzhen smiled and said, “How about this: you all chat first. Lao Cheng, rest well. We"ll come visit later.”
“You should go back earlier and rest. No worries,” said Sun Shaoyun.
After sending them away, Qi Chengyue said, “Just now I heard the doctor say that we need to wait for the surgery, so I called my big brother and second brother. They"re very close to the boss of Chutian Hospital. If Uncle could be moved there, they could arrange a surgery immediately, and the surgeon in charge would be the best in B City.”
Qi Chengyue hesitated for a while as she was unsure whether it was appropriate to say this, but she continued to say, slowly, “Chutian Hospital is much better than this hospital in terms of service, facilities, environment, and the skill of the medical personnel. We would feel more rea.s.sured if the surgery was to be done there. Besides, we know the people there and they may be able to a.s.sist us promptly should anything occur. Aunt, if you agree, my big brother and second brother will come and fetch you and Uncle there.”
“This—” Sun Shaoyun was very touched. She had heard of Chutian Hospital before. Every day, countless patients from all parts of the country flocked to the hospital to seek medical treatment. The standard of medical care there were in another cla.s.s compared to the hospitals in Li City.
Cheng Dongge smiled at Qi Chengyue and said to Sun Shaoyun, “Mum, if you"re worried about the expenses, then don"t. I can easily cover the bill with my salary.”
Qi Chengyue was worried that Sun Shaoyun would think that the Qi Family was trying to show off their wealth and influence, so she quickly said, “Aunt, don"t worry; besides making use of our connections to help Uncle, my family won"t be involved if you don"t want us to be.”
Sun Shaoyun was quite touched when she saw that Qi Chengyue was so concerned of the stress her family background could cause Sun Shaoyun. “No, please don"t misunderstand, I"m not worried about the money. Dongge, I know how much you earn, but the distance between Li City and B City is very far and I"m just worried that your dad cannot bear the traveling process.”
Qi Chengyue glanced at Cheng Dongge. She smiled at Sun Shaoyun embarra.s.sedly. Then, she pulled Cheng Dongge aside to discuss it with him in private.
Cheng Dongge was looking at her cautious manner. After he listened to Qi Chengyue, he held her hand and walked back to Sun Shaoyun.
Sun Shaoyu saw them talking animatedly, then Cheng Dongge returned and elaborated, “Chengyue did not explain clearly just now: her big brother and second brother will be fetching us via the Qi Family"s private plane. They"ll bring us straight to the hospital, so Dad won"t be tired.”
Sun Shaoyun understood now what qualms Qi Chengyue had had. She was quite hesitant because, once she agreed, it meant that she would meet the members of the Qi Family and that she had acknowledged the status of Qi Chengyue. After that—
As she was considering it, Cheng Zhaohui, who had been silent until then, intervened. “Since this a good intention from our child, we should agree with it. But, Chengyue, we would truly trouble your family.”
Qi Chengyue heaved a sigh of relief and smiled happily. “It"s no trouble.”
Since Cheng Zhaohui had agreed, Sun Shaoyun stopped any thoughts of refusing.
When Qi Chengzhi received Qi Chengyue"s call, he was on the way to the hospital with Song Yu for her prenatal examination. After he hung up, he stopped his car by the roadside and told Song Yu about it.
“We could pick another day to do the prenatal examination. This is a good chance to make Dongge"s parents accept Chengyue. Since something happened to the Cheng Family, we must help them,” said Song Yu immediately.
At that moment, Qi Chenglin called him and asked whether he was going or not. He had informed the airport and was now arranging the time and route of the flight.
The opinion of Song Yu was that Qi Chengzhi himself should go to show that the Qi Family truly viewed Cheng Dongge"s parents as people of great importance and did not look down upon them.
Therefore, after Qi Chengzhi had sent Song Yu back, he went to the airport to meet with Qi Chenglin.
Sun Shaoyun did not expect that they meant so much to the Qi Family until she saw both Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin arriving together. Qilin was the company that Cheng Dongge worked at, so Sun Shaoyun knew quite a bit about it and she knew of the high-status Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin held in the company.
Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were not the type of people who were friendly and warm toward others. When they met Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui, they treated them coolly, but slightly gentler than usual. Sun Shaoyun did not mind as she could roughly sense that their personalities were like that.
Once they had sent Cheng Zhaohui to the Chutian Hospital, it had turned to night. They helped Cheng Zhaohui settle down. Chu Zhaoyang came to visit him in the ward after he heard that Cheng Dongge"s father was admitted.
Cheng Zhaohui"s surgery was scheduled for Monday. When he was in Li City, Cheng Dongge received an abrupt call from Qi Chengzhi, asking him to go on a business trip with him tomorrow. Sun Shaoyun let Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue leave first and she stayed behind to look after Cheng Zhaohui.
Early morning the next day, Qi Chengyue drove to the hospital. She brought breakfast which was kept in a thermos bottle and a food container. It was obvious the breakfast had not been bought.
“You made it yourself?” asked Sun Shaoyun as Qi Chengyue opened the thermos bottle and poured the porridge out.
Qi Chengyue blushed and said shyly, “I-I"m still not good at cooking. This was prepared by the aunt living with us, but I"m learning.”
Sun Shaoyun smiled. “You"re honest. If you had said that it was you who prepared it, I wouldn"t have known any different. After you marry Dongge, you"ll be living with him in B City. I wouldn"t be able to find out whether you"re good at cooking or not.”
“Aunt, you…” Qi Chengyue stared at her in astonishment. Was Sun Shaoyun implying that she approved the relations.h.i.+p between her and Cheng Dongge?
Sun Shaoyun noticed that Qi Chengyue was truly a considerate person. Very few parents could make decisions for their children in life, and she could see that the Qi Family was very thoughtful and different from what she imagined, so she stopped insisting.
Even if the things that she worried about did indeed happen in the future, just as Cheng Dongge had said, it was his decision and he would bear the consequences.
After Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun finished their meals, Qi Chengyue said, “Aunt, you should go back and rest. I"ll take care of uncle here.”
“It"s okay, this room is so comfortable, just like a hotel room. Lao Cheng did not have trouble sleeping at night and I also slept quite soundly. I"m not tired. Besides, if you stay here, your uncle may feel uneasy,” said Sun Shaoyun. She had washed the fruits brought by Qi Chengyue and was now peeling them.
“You don"t need to stay here; you can go and do your stuff. There"s nothing here,” said Sun Shaoyun.
Despite what she said, Qi Chengyue still stayed to accompany her.
At around ten o"clock, someone knocked on the door of the ward. Qi Chengyue stood up and went to open the door. She was stunned when she saw the group of people who were waiting at the doorway. “Grandma, why did all of you come?”
Grandmother Qi had brought Xian Wenna, Guan Liya, and Song Yu with her. Qi Youxuan, who was determined to join the visit, had also followed them here.
“My child, we"re here to visit our in-laws.” Grandmother Qi entered the ward with vigor and enthusiasm. The bags of things she brought were all carried by the driver.
“In-law, how are you?” Grandmother Qi was speaking loud and clear. She did not require anyone to introduce her as she had the gift of making friends with anybody she met.
Cheng Zhaohui was a simple person who had worked as a teacher his entire life. He had never met a person like Grandmother Qi. He was lying in the bed, startled, and did not know what to say.