However, she had no courage to do that. She did not have Song Yu’s fate to have a boyfriend like Qi Chengzhi.
If she also had a… if only Qi Chengzhi was her boyfriend, she would not need to be afraid of anything else.
At the end of the day, he was not hers. Yang Yunshu could only clench her jaws and swallow her tears. She packed her things up while she cried in humiliation.
When she was about to leave after packing, she felt as if the whole office was taunting her.
Those people with whom she used to joke around with and had gotten along well with her, seemed to look at her with a disgusted expression.
Yang Yunshu gritted her teeth and left the office with muted sobs.
Director Zhao let out a sigh and asked with concern, “Song Yu, are you alright?”
Song Yu shook her head and said tiredly, “I’m fine.”
“Qilin called just now and requested for you to go over to their engineering department to discuss some matters. If you don’t feel like going now, I can help you decline it and arrange for another time,” Director Zhao said in an understanding manner.
Song Yu self-mockingly pursed her lips. The way Director Zhao treated Yang Yunshu today was exactly how he had treated her in the beginning.
Nonetheless, the difference between Yang Yunshu and her was that Yang Yunshu inflicted this upon herself but she, on the other hand, was coerced by Wang Liwen.
In the beginning, Director Zhao told her off and said the same words to her for the sake of Wang Liwen: “If you want the job then work, if you don’t, then just quit.” Now, he was treating her so carefully as if she owned the company.
She shook her head and said, “I’m fine, I’ll head over now.”
…
…
Just when Song Yu reached the floor of Qilin’s engineering department, she remembered that Jian Yi was the manager of this department.
She should have thought of it earlier, but her mind was disoriented thanks to Yang Yunshu’s harassment and did not remember this.
Since she was already here, there was no way for her to turn around.
She could only hope that Jian Yi would not attend the discussion in person.
Unfortunately, when she entered the engineering department and told them her intentions, they brought her straight into Jian Yi’s office.
When Jian Yi saw her entering his office, both of his eyes were fixed onto her.
Even when he told his assistant to excuse himself, his eyes remained fixated on Song Yu.
Song Yu frowned, she had a feeling that Jian Yi requested her for something unrelated to work.
“Director Zhao told me that you want to discuss some issues regarding the project. May I know what’s the issue?” Song Yu stood in the middle of the office and did not take another step forward. “I have been following up with the hotel’s project and communicating with Manager Wang from our engineering department, but I haven’t found any issues.”
Jian Yi’s gaze was so intense as if he was afraid that she would disappear into thin air at any moment. His eyes did not blink at all when he lifted his head to look at her. He signaled with his hands and said, “Please have a seat.”
Song Yu pursed her lips and sat across his desk without saying a word.
“What do you want to drink? I’ll ask my assistant to prepare it for you.” Jian Yi pressed on the speaker and was about to press the intercom button next on the phone. He was still staring at Song Yu’s face with an entranced expression, making her feel rather uncomfortable.
“There’s no need for that,” Song Yu said calmly. “I’m here to talk about work, let’s go through it as soon as possible so that I can settle them.”
Jian Yi tugged the corner of his lips bitterly and said in a low raspy voice, “Song Song…”
He laughed bitterly. “Haha, it’s been so long since I’ve called you that. I really missed it. We can’t even be friends now, can we? Must your attitude be so different toward me? We only share nothing more than a professional relationship?”
He raised his hand and placed it on his desk. It extended almost half of the distance between them as if he intended to hold Song Yu’s hand, but he stopped halfway. “Can I interpret this as you still have feelings for me? They say that the deeper the love, the deeper the hate, isn’t it? You’re treating me so coldly without any emotion, you’re unable to put on a normal expression and speak properly to me. Isn’t this a sign that you still care for me and that’s why you hate me so much?”
Song Yu was not expecting Jian Yi to be this thick-skinned.
She stood up and sneered coldly, “You’re wrong, I don’t hate you. It’s just because your character is so off-putting, not that I care. This is how I act around someone that I despise. I wouldn’t behave this way if I hate you because I care about you. I treat you just like how I would treat a normal stranger. Now you’re the manager of my client’s company, what’s wrong with staying professional? If I made you uncomfortable by treating you coldly, I apologize, but I won’t change because I care for Qi Chengzhi. I wouldn’t want to upset him just to please you.
“If you call me all the way over just to talk about my attitude, I’ll excuse myself.” Song Yu turned around to leave but Jian Yi sprung to his feet. His chair moved back due to the recoil of his legs. He leaned forward slightly and grabbed Song Yu’s arm across the desk.
“Song Yu!” Jian Yi grabbed her. “Don’t leave yet. Okay, if you don’t want to hear about this, I won’t speak of it any further. Just sit down first, I have something really important to tell you.”
Song Yu frowned, she felt like Jian Yi was not going to discuss work-related matters.
Jian Yi’s words reminded her of the things he had told her in the back garden of the Qi’s family old mansion.
He said the same thing during that time.
Song Yu pursed her lips. “If the important matter has nothing to do with work, then you don’t have to tell me.”
Jian Yi paused for a moment before releasing her hand slowly. He went around his desk and came forward to block her path in a swift motion.
“Song Yu, did you tell Qi Chengzhi about what I told you in the back garden of the Qi’s family old mansion?”
Song Yu ignored him and scooted a few steps aside calmly so that she could get past him and leave.
“Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi’s going to transfer me to the subsidiary company in France.” Jian Yi held onto her wrist from behind to stop Song Yu from walking away. Then, he came up to her front again.
“Don’t you feel that it’s just too much of a coincidence? I just told you about my suspicions, that Qi Chengzhi did something bad to you and tried to hide it from you. He then went and told Qi Chengyue that he wants to transfer me to France. He even wants to assign me as the general manager.
“I am clearly aware that I’ve only been the manager of the engineering department in Qilin for a short period of time. My experience doesn’t qualify for a general manager. Even though the subsidiary company in France is still far from reaching the scale of our local company, I’m still not up for it. There are so many other talents in this company that qualify for that post and are eager to be groomed. Why would Qi Chengzhi choose an inexperienced person like me to be the general manager?
“If Qi Chengzhi is someone who would only choose family members, I would’ve been promoted long ago and not just remained as a small department manager for the past two years. Now, his intentions of transferring me to France all of a sudden indicates that he’s guilty. He’s afraid that I may find out the truth, that’s why he transferred me to keep me away from you in case things go against his odds.”
“Are you finished?” Song Yu asked coldly.
“Song Yu, you still don’t believe me? Do you really think that all of these things are merely a coincidence? If he’s not guilty, why would he transfer me right after I told you of my worries? He’s definitely scared of something! This also proves that he really did something bad to you and tried so hard to keep you from knowing. He’s afraid that you’ll leave him.”
Jian Yi held Song Yu’s shoulders with both his hands. “Song Yu, wake up and look at this rationally. Why can’t you see what I see? Qi Chengzhi is hiding something from you. He’s scared, that’s why he’s transferring me away, out of sheer guilt!”
“Let go of me!” Song Yu said heavily.
Jian Yi did not let go. “Tell me, what other reasons can there be for him transfer me to France suddenly?”
“Perhaps it’s because of how you’re always bothering me like this,” Song Yu said coldly. “Or it could be Qi Chengyue who went to him and requested for your promotion.”
She scoffed gently in an indifferent manner. “Isn’t this your intention when you chose to marry the Qi family? A promotion and a better future. You’ve gotten what you’ve wished for, yet you come up with this conspiracy idea. Aren’t you tired?
“Jian Yi, since he has already given you a promotion, why do you continue to harass me? Please let go of me now.”
Jian Yi clenched his jaws and refused to let go of his grip on her. “Song Yu, what should I do for you to believe me?”
“You lied and cheated on me in the past, why should I trust you?” Song Yu threw him a look of disdain. “We’re in a company, please consider your current status.”
Song Yu tried to shake off his hands from her shoulder but Jian Yi refused to let go. He even pulled her towards him.
In a state of shock, Song Yu kept trying to shun away from him. She gritted her teeth and raised her leg to use the tip of her feet to kick his shin with all her strength.
There was not much flesh on the shin, it was just a layer of skin covering the bone. After Song Yu gathered all her strength to kick on it, Jian Yi shuddered in pain and released her.
“Jian Yi, from now onwards, don’t use work as an excuse to find me and tell me such nonsense!” Song Yu lowered her head and saw Jian Yi squatting down due to the pain, both hands clutching his painful shin. She continued, “No matter what you say, I won’t believe you. Don’t waste your effort, just focus on Qi Chengyue and live a happy life.”
Song Yu walked past him and opened the office door. She had just turned around and taken a few steps when she met Qi Chengyue walking towards her direction.
She should be looking for Jian Yi. She stopped walking after seeing Song Yu. Her face that was looking rather sweet prior to their meeting turned dark. Her expression changed as she glanced at Jian Yi’s office with a malicious gaze.
Song Yu knew that she must have misunderstood again and thought that she came to pester Jian Yi.
She was too lazy to argue with Qi Chengyue as it was just going to be a waste of energy. She nodded lightly and moved on.
“Song Yu, I have something to tell you.” Qi Chengyue turned around to look at Song Yu’s side view when they crossed paths.
Song Yu stopped and turned her head to stare at Qi Chengyue. There was no one at the hallway when she said, “If you want to accuse me of bothering Jian Yi again, then don’t say anything. I don’t want to hear your groundless presumptions.”
Qi Chengyue turned around to face her. Surprisingly, she did not yell at Song Yu and instead, she said calmly, “It’s related to Jian Yi, but it involves my brother and you as well. It’s not what you assume.”
Qi Chengyue glanced at her luxurious watch and said, “It won’t take long, let’s head to the cafe downstairs and have a seat.”
Song Yu considered for a moment and finally agreed to have a chat with Qi Chengyue.
She had originally planned to look for Qi Chengzhi after leaving Jian Yi’s office.
…
…
Song Yu followed Qi Chengyue to the cafe downstairs in Qilin. Qi Chengyue ordered a cup of cappuccino. Song Yu did not order anything since she had no plans of staying to chat for long.
Before the coffee was served, Qi Chengyue remained silent. Song Yu had nothing to say to her, both of them just stared at each other’s eyes.
Song Yu had no intentions of looking at her, so she kept her head lowered.
The aroma of coffee wafted across the table as the waiter brought over the fragrant coffee to serve. After he left, only then Song Yu lifted her head.
“What do you want to tell me?” she asked.
Qi Chengyue sipped on her coffee. Then, she wiped off the foam on her lips carefully with a tissue so that she would not ruin the delicate makeup on her lips.
“I remember that you almost drowned when you were young. You were in your teenage years when it happened?” Qi Chengyue put down the tissue and asked.
Song Yu did not answer her. Of course, she remembered the only time when she almost drowned. She was thirteen years old.
Qi Chengyue moved her lips and said, “I remember that my big brother was still studying in the United States back then. It was during the Christmas holidays. He came back to visit and booked a returning flight two days before the term ended. One day before he flew back, Jian Yi, Guan Xiaolin and you went fishing at the lake. My big brother was also there with Yan Beicheng and his friends to play.
“I thought that it was just a coincidence. Thinking of it now, most likely my big brother went there for you. Yan Beicheng and the few of them said that they wanted to give him a farewell. My big brother chose the place himself. There are so many places to hold a farewell, why did he choose to go to the lake in such wintery weather?” Qi Chengyue pouted her lips sarcastically.
“I was not there when it happened. I don’t know how you fell into the lake. Although the lake had not frozen entirely, the lake water temperature was as cold as ice during that time of the year. You couldn’t even swim. My brother and his friends rented a boat from Shengyue and they were eating in the cabin. He was sitting beside the window, that’s why he discovered that you had fallen into the lake. He was the first one to jump into the water, even Jian Yi was one step behind.
“Probably he thought that it was unnecessary for him to jump in when he saw my brother going in first to save you, that or he was just afraid. It was my brother who saved you from the lake, the only thing Jian Yi did was just lending a helping hand to pull the both of you out from the lake.
“When my brother sent you to the hospital, he fell sick too. Our whole family hurried to the hospital to visit him. He was having a high fever and fell unconscious, where he slept throughout the night in another ward. Yan Beicheng told our family what happened while he was unconscious.
“Guan Xiaolin mentioned to me that Jian Yi had saved you before, but I know it wasn’t true. I don’t know how Jian Yi told you that made you think that he saved you.
“In fact, my brother had never left your side and accompanied you from the moment he saved you all the way to the hospital. While you were unconscious on the hospital bed, my brother stayed beside you until his body couldn’t take it anymore. The next day, my brother had to rush for his flight once he was awake, that’s why he didn’t get the chance to see you. When I passed by your ward, I saw Jian Yi accompanying you.”
Song Yu placed her hands on her lap, her right hand shifted slightly and grabbed the sides of the sofa tightly.
She definitely did not expect Qi Chengzhi was the one who saved her.
If she had taken a moment to process her thoughts, the reason she had fallen for Jian Yi was because she heard from Guan Xiaolin that Jian Yi had saved her when she fell into the lake, and accompanied her throughout the night and fell ill eventually because of her.
Touched by his actions, she could not help but give more attention toward Jian Yi.
She was only thirteen years old at that time, and it was the age of budding romance. Her first love would always be difficult to forget once her heart was stolen by him.
Moreover, one might subconsciously shape the other person into one’s ideals, and being oblivious to their weaknesses.
It was not until Qi Chengzhi made his way into Song Yu’s heart that she finally saw the true colors of Jian Yi.
If it was the old her, she would not have believed what Qi Chengyue had just told her.
Song Yu was a very loyal girl. She would give her absolute trust to the person she likes. No matter what others said about her partner, she would not believe them. She would only believe what she saw with her own eyes and how well the person treated her.
“Why are you telling me this?” Song Yu asked. “I thought you have always wanted me to break up with your brother.”
“I don’t really like you to be part of the Qi family since I feel disgusted whenever I see you.” Qi Chengyue pursed her lips and sneered, “Until now, I still wish that you’ll leave my brother. However, I don’t want you to bother Jian Yi anymore and I don’t hope for anything else.
“I know that he’s not perfect and has many flaws, but I still love him. I love him so much that I don’t care about his flaws. Can you do that? I just want to let you know that before he was with me, he didn’t like you as much as you thought.”
Song Yu nodded her head. Her calmness surprised Qi Chengyue when she replied, “I know that. Before I got together with Qi Chengzhi, I didn’t like Jian Yi as much as you thought, not even as much as I thought. I was not upset when I knew that you guys were together. I just felt angry that I was lied to. I realized this when Qi Chengzhi entered my life.
“This would be the last time I tell you this. I don’t like Jian Yi. I’m in a really good place with Qi Chengzhi, why would I care about Jian Yi? If you still don’t believe me, you can say whatever you want in the future but just don’t come and bother me.” Song Yu stood up and paused for a moment when she got out of the sofa.
She lowered her head to look at Qi Chengyue and could not resist saying, “Actually, have you ever thought that the person he loved the most is himself? In fact, he’s not into you? You kept putting the blame on me just because you need a reason to justify the way he disregards you.”
Qi Chengyue’s expression changed instantly. She slammed her hand onto the table, giving a loud ‘pang’ and said, “Song Yu! You…”
Even though there were not many people at the cafe, the few turned and stared at them because of Chengyue’s sharp scream.
Qi Chengyue blushed in embarrassment. She pressed her hand on the table but she dared not speak anymore. She glared at Song Yu with a stiff expression.
How dare she criticize Jian Yi for not loving her!
She could not accept that Song Yu managed to trigger something that was buried deep down her heart. Her face flushed, due to anger and humiliation.
Song Yu shook her head gently and turned around to leave.
She then walked back to Qilin. She was surprised that Qi Chengyue did not follow her.
Regardless of the motive behind Qi Chengyue telling her the truth of her drowning incident, she was still grateful that Qi Chengyue was willing to let her know.
She had a great urge to see Qi Chengzhi, so that she could ask him why he never told her about it.
She felt sorry for the man as he did not even receive a simple thank you before he left. Many years passed, and she did not know that he was the one who saved her.
She could not help but ponder; if she had known that he was the one who saved her, would he be the person that she had fallen for instead?
Song Yu shook her head and chuckled.
It did not sound too plausible as she has always been awed by him, what more, she was only thirteen years old when Qi Chengzhi was already twenty-two. He was already an adult in her eyes, an age that was far beyond her years.
She remembered when she was younger, she did not revere him as much. She was still very naive then, and never feared him. Instead, she kept pestering him around.
As she matured and started becoming more sensible, she feared the way Qi Chengzhi had always put on a profound mien and kept her distance from him.
She could not recall much about the time she spent with Qi Chengzhi when she was younger. She was too young to remember those events. Some of the memories were buried deep down in her heart, they had always existed, but not necessarily remembered.
Maybe, there would be a moment that could revive those sealed memories.
Unknowingly, Song Yu had already walked to the reception while she was still deep in her thoughts. She heard someone calling, “Mrs. Qi!”
Song Yu blinked and regained her senses. She looked towards the direction of the voice in surprise and saw the receptionist blush in embarrassment. She said awkwardly, “I mean…no…Miss Song…”
Song Yu beamed gently to calm the nerves of the receptionist before saying, “Is the director busy?”
“I’m not really sure, I… I’ll call and check, but Miss Song, in the morning, the director ordered to let you in whenever you come,” the receptionist called Cheng Dongge as she spoke.
Suddenly, Song Yu stopped her from doing so. She felt that her arrival was too unexpected. What if she is really disrupting his work?
“It’s fine,” Song Yu said softly. She planned to return to Chengshi.
“Song Yu?”
Song Yu heard a voice from behind. When she turned around, she saw Luo Yushu’s tummy bounce up and down while he scampered over.
“You’re here to see our director? Why are you leaving now?” Luo Yushu ran towards her.
“No, that’s not it. I came here for business. I have to return to Chengshi as I’ve finished my discussion.” Song Yu did not explain the details to Luo Yushu.
“You wanted to meet the director just now, am I right?” Luo Yushu asked.
“Is he busy now?” Song Yu asked in return.
Luo Yushu shook his head immediately. “No, he’s not. We have just ended the headquarters meeting. I came down to buy some coffee. The director should be free now. Let’s go, I’ll lead the way.”
Luo Yushu dared not physically touch Song Yu. He placed his hand behind her back to urge her so that she could not leave.
Before she could even think of leaving, Song Yu was already in front of Qi Chengzhi’s office door thanks to Luo Yushu.
In a swift motion, Cheng Dongge knocked on the door on behalf of Song Yu. He opened the door when he heard Qi Chengzhi’s voice. “Young Master Cheng, Miss Song is here.”
Song Yu was still very embarrassed. She feared that he would be annoyed by her unannounced presence during working hours.
She braced herself as she walked in and the door closed behind her.
“Why are you here?” Qi Chengzhi was surprised to see her when he lifted his head. His charming face failed to conceal his joy.
“I came over to discuss something. I thought that I’ll drop by to see you since I’m already here. Am I disturbing you?” She asked while she stood in her place. She felt a little uneasy for no reason.
She looked at his calm and charming face from afar. She could not help but recall his appearance when he was twenty-two years old.
At this moment, it was as if she had gotten to know him once more. She imagined his twenty-two self holding her when she was thirteen years old. He was in his prime years, full of vigor. Her heartbeat started racing uncontrollably. Suddenly, she was crossed by the fact that she was unconscious and missed the chance to feel what it was like to be held under his arms.
Qi Chengzhi did not answer her question. He leaned back in his chair leisurely and said to her, “Come here.”
Song Yu paused for a moment. She hesitated for a while before dragging herself to the front of the desk.
“Why did you separate yourself from me with the desk?” Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows. He was not happy with a wide office desk placed in between them.
Song Yu felt abashed for a moment when she saw a faint smile hanging on the corners of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth. She walked around the office desk and came to him.
His face was right at the position of her abdomen and her soft hands were just beside his arms.
Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand and held hers. He massaged her tender palm all the way to each of her fingers. Song Yu trembled when she felt a thin stream of current spread out from her fingertips, passing through her wrist to her shoulders and then her upper body.
Qi Chengzhi turned the chair to face her, kneading her hand with one hand, the other one wrapped gently around her waist and held her back before pulling her into his arms.
He spread his legs open so that she was clamped in between them. His other hand guided hers by the back of her hand to his back, all the while kneading it lightly. His face was pressed against her abdomen, kissing her through the thin layers of clothing.
“It just so happened that I’m not busy,” he said with a low raspy voice and pressed against her abdomen. The tip of his tongue was prodding at the hem of her shirt, slipping through the slits in between the buttons. He licked her belly button and kept going in circular motions.
Song Yu’s abdomen contracted violently in waves. She was quivering uncontrollably under his tease.
“Qi Chengzhi, we’re in your office.” She used her free hand to push on his shoulder. She wanted to use some force but she could not. Instead, she clutched it tightly.
“No one will enter knowing you’re here. I feel secure with Cheng Dongge guarding outside,” he mumbled while planting wavering kisses on her skin. He inched upwards slowly, along with three slender fingers to unbutton her shirt.
“…” Song Yu’s cheeks were flushed red. She wondered if Cheng Dongge had expected them to do something inappropriate upon her arrival?
Before Song Yu could figure it out, she lowered her head and saw the buttons on her shirt unbuttoned, one by one.
He kissed her chest separated by her bra. With a single push of his hand, she was seated on his lap.
“Qi Chengzhi, stop fooling around.” Song Yu shuddered after being kissed by him.
“I’m not fooling around. I’ve missed you so much since you left this morning,” he said as he continued to caress her soft skin. His voice was throaty and raspy. It sounded like a low note made by a string instrument, vibrating on her skin stroke after stroke.
“If it wasn’t for the poor location, I would’ve had you in the car this morning.” His searing lips grazed her neck and explored further to reach the corner of her sweet mouth. “Luckily you told Chang Lai to pick me up. The fire in me hasn’t died down even after the arrival of Chang Lai. If you hadn’t come here, I would’ve gone over for you in the afternoon.”
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However, she had no courage to do that. She did not have Song Yu’s fate to have a boyfriend like Qi Chengzhi.
If she also had a… if only Qi Chengzhi was her boyfriend, she would not need to be afraid of anything else.
At the end of the day, he was not hers. Yang Yunshu could only clench her jaws and swallow her tears. She packed her things up while she cried in humiliation.
When she was about to leave after packing, she felt as if the whole office was taunting her.
Those people with whom she used to joke around with and had gotten along well with her, seemed to look at her with a disgusted expression.
Yang Yunshu gritted her teeth and left the office with muted sobs.
Director Zhao let out a sigh and asked with concern, “Song Yu, are you alright?”
Song Yu shook her head and said tiredly, “I’m fine.”
“Qilin called just now and requested for you to go over to their engineering department to discuss some matters. If you don’t feel like going now, I can help you decline it and arrange for another time,” Director Zhao said in an understanding manner.
Song Yu self-mockingly pursed her lips. The way Director Zhao treated Yang Yunshu today was exactly how he had treated her in the beginning.
Nonetheless, the difference between Yang Yunshu and her was that Yang Yunshu inflicted this upon herself but she, on the other hand, was coerced by Wang Liwen.
In the beginning, Director Zhao told her off and said the same words to her for the sake of Wang Liwen: “If you want the job then work, if you don’t, then just quit.” Now, he was treating her so carefully as if she owned the company.
She shook her head and said, “I’m fine, I’ll head over now.”
…
…
Just when Song Yu reached the floor of Qilin’s engineering department, she remembered that Jian Yi was the manager of this department.
She should have thought of it earlier, but her mind was disoriented thanks to Yang Yunshu’s harassment and did not remember this.
Since she was already here, there was no way for her to turn around.
She could only hope that Jian Yi would not attend the discussion in person.
Unfortunately, when she entered the engineering department and told them her intentions, they brought her straight into Jian Yi’s office.
When Jian Yi saw her entering his office, both of his eyes were fixed onto her.
Even when he told his assistant to excuse himself, his eyes remained fixated on Song Yu.
Song Yu frowned, she had a feeling that Jian Yi requested her for something unrelated to work.
“Director Zhao told me that you want to discuss some issues regarding the project. May I know what’s the issue?” Song Yu stood in the middle of the office and did not take another step forward. “I have been following up with the hotel’s project and communicating with Manager Wang from our engineering department, but I haven’t found any issues.”
Jian Yi’s gaze was so intense as if he was afraid that she would disappear into thin air at any moment. His eyes did not blink at all when he lifted his head to look at her. He signaled with his hands and said, “Please have a seat.”
Song Yu pursed her lips and sat across his desk without saying a word.
“What do you want to drink? I’ll ask my assistant to prepare it for you.” Jian Yi pressed on the speaker and was about to press the intercom button next on the phone. He was still staring at Song Yu’s face with an entranced expression, making her feel rather uncomfortable.
“There’s no need for that,” Song Yu said calmly. “I’m here to talk about work, let’s go through it as soon as possible so that I can settle them.”
Jian Yi tugged the corner of his lips bitterly and said in a low raspy voice, “Song Song…”
He laughed bitterly. “Haha, it’s been so long since I’ve called you that. I really missed it. We can’t even be friends now, can we? Must your attitude be so different toward me? We only share nothing more than a professional relationship?”
He raised his hand and placed it on his desk. It extended almost half of the distance between them as if he intended to hold Song Yu’s hand, but he stopped halfway. “Can I interpret this as you still have feelings for me? They say that the deeper the love, the deeper the hate, isn’t it? You’re treating me so coldly without any emotion, you’re unable to put on a normal expression and speak properly to me. Isn’t this a sign that you still care for me and that’s why you hate me so much?”
Song Yu was not expecting Jian Yi to be this thick-skinned.
She stood up and sneered coldly, “You’re wrong, I don’t hate you. It’s just because your character is so off-putting, not that I care. This is how I act around someone that I despise. I wouldn’t behave this way if I hate you because I care about you. I treat you just like how I would treat a normal stranger. Now you’re the manager of my client’s company, what’s wrong with staying professional? If I made you uncomfortable by treating you coldly, I apologize, but I won’t change because I care for Qi Chengzhi. I wouldn’t want to upset him just to please you.
“If you call me all the way over just to talk about my attitude, I’ll excuse myself.” Song Yu turned around to leave but Jian Yi sprung to his feet. His chair moved back due to the recoil of his legs. He leaned forward slightly and grabbed Song Yu’s arm across the desk.
“Song Yu!” Jian Yi grabbed her. “Don’t leave yet. Okay, if you don’t want to hear about this, I won’t speak of it any further. Just sit down first, I have something really important to tell you.”
Song Yu frowned, she felt like Jian Yi was not going to discuss work-related matters.
Jian Yi’s words reminded her of the things he had told her in the back garden of the Qi’s family old mansion.
He said the same thing during that time.
Song Yu pursed her lips. “If the important matter has nothing to do with work, then you don’t have to tell me.”
Jian Yi paused for a moment before releasing her hand slowly. He went around his desk and came forward to block her path in a swift motion.
“Song Yu, did you tell Qi Chengzhi about what I told you in the back garden of the Qi’s family old mansion?”
Song Yu ignored him and scooted a few steps aside calmly so that she could get past him and leave.
“Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi’s going to transfer me to the subsidiary company in France.” Jian Yi held onto her wrist from behind to stop Song Yu from walking away. Then, he came up to her front again.
“Don’t you feel that it’s just too much of a coincidence? I just told you about my suspicions, that Qi Chengzhi did something bad to you and tried to hide it from you. He then went and told Qi Chengyue that he wants to transfer me to France. He even wants to assign me as the general manager.
“I am clearly aware that I’ve only been the manager of the engineering department in Qilin for a short period of time. My experience doesn’t qualify for a general manager. Even though the subsidiary company in France is still far from reaching the scale of our local company, I’m still not up for it. There are so many other talents in this company that qualify for that post and are eager to be groomed. Why would Qi Chengzhi choose an inexperienced person like me to be the general manager?
“If Qi Chengzhi is someone who would only choose family members, I would’ve been promoted long ago and not just remained as a small department manager for the past two years. Now, his intentions of transferring me to France all of a sudden indicates that he’s guilty. He’s afraid that I may find out the truth, that’s why he transferred me to keep me away from you in case things go against his odds.”
“Are you finished?” Song Yu asked coldly.
“Song Yu, you still don’t believe me? Do you really think that all of these things are merely a coincidence? If he’s not guilty, why would he transfer me right after I told you of my worries? He’s definitely scared of something! This also proves that he really did something bad to you and tried so hard to keep you from knowing. He’s afraid that you’ll leave him.”
Jian Yi held Song Yu’s shoulders with both his hands. “Song Yu, wake up and look at this rationally. Why can’t you see what I see? Qi Chengzhi is hiding something from you. He’s scared, that’s why he’s transferring me away, out of sheer guilt!”
“Let go of me!” Song Yu said heavily.
Jian Yi did not let go. “Tell me, what other reasons can there be for him transfer me to France suddenly?”
“Perhaps it’s because of how you’re always bothering me like this,” Song Yu said coldly. “Or it could be Qi Chengyue who went to him and requested for your promotion.”
She scoffed gently in an indifferent manner. “Isn’t this your intention when you chose to marry the Qi family? A promotion and a better future. You’ve gotten what you’ve wished for, yet you come up with this conspiracy idea. Aren’t you tired?
“Jian Yi, since he has already given you a promotion, why do you continue to harass me? Please let go of me now.”
Jian Yi clenched his jaws and refused to let go of his grip on her. “Song Yu, what should I do for you to believe me?”
“You lied and cheated on me in the past, why should I trust you?” Song Yu threw him a look of disdain. “We’re in a company, please consider your current status.”
Song Yu tried to shake off his hands from her shoulder but Jian Yi refused to let go. He even pulled her towards him.
In a state of shock, Song Yu kept trying to shun away from him. She gritted her teeth and raised her leg to use the tip of her feet to kick his shin with all her strength.
There was not much flesh on the shin, it was just a layer of skin covering the bone. After Song Yu gathered all her strength to kick on it, Jian Yi shuddered in pain and released her.
“Jian Yi, from now onwards, don’t use work as an excuse to find me and tell me such nonsense!” Song Yu lowered her head and saw Jian Yi squatting down due to the pain, both hands clutching his painful shin. She continued, “No matter what you say, I won’t believe you. Don’t waste your effort, just focus on Qi Chengyue and live a happy life.”
Song Yu walked past him and opened the office door. She had just turned around and taken a few steps when she met Qi Chengyue walking towards her direction.
She should be looking for Jian Yi. She stopped walking after seeing Song Yu. Her face that was looking rather sweet prior to their meeting turned dark. Her expression changed as she glanced at Jian Yi’s office with a malicious gaze.
Song Yu knew that she must have misunderstood again and thought that she came to pester Jian Yi.
She was too lazy to argue with Qi Chengyue as it was just going to be a waste of energy. She nodded lightly and moved on.
“Song Yu, I have something to tell you.” Qi Chengyue turned around to look at Song Yu’s side view when they crossed paths.
Song Yu stopped and turned her head to stare at Qi Chengyue. There was no one at the hallway when she said, “If you want to accuse me of bothering Jian Yi again, then don’t say anything. I don’t want to hear your groundless presumptions.”
Qi Chengyue turned around to face her. Surprisingly, she did not yell at Song Yu and instead, she said calmly, “It’s related to Jian Yi, but it involves my brother and you as well. It’s not what you assume.”
Qi Chengyue glanced at her luxurious watch and said, “It won’t take long, let’s head to the cafe downstairs and have a seat.”
Song Yu considered for a moment and finally agreed to have a chat with Qi Chengyue.
She had originally planned to look for Qi Chengzhi after leaving Jian Yi’s office.
…
…
Song Yu followed Qi Chengyue to the cafe downstairs in Qilin. Qi Chengyue ordered a cup of cappuccino. Song Yu did not order anything since she had no plans of staying to chat for long.
Before the coffee was served, Qi Chengyue remained silent. Song Yu had nothing to say to her, both of them just stared at each other’s eyes.
Song Yu had no intentions of looking at her, so she kept her head lowered.
The aroma of coffee wafted across the table as the waiter brought over the fragrant coffee to serve. After he left, only then Song Yu lifted her head.
“What do you want to tell me?” she asked.
Qi Chengyue sipped on her coffee. Then, she wiped off the foam on her lips carefully with a tissue so that she would not ruin the delicate makeup on her lips.
“I remember that you almost drowned when you were young. You were in your teenage years when it happened?” Qi Chengyue put down the tissue and asked.
Song Yu did not answer her. Of course, she remembered the only time when she almost drowned. She was thirteen years old.
Qi Chengyue moved her lips and said, “I remember that my big brother was still studying in the United States back then. It was during the Christmas holidays. He came back to visit and booked a returning flight two days before the term ended. One day before he flew back, Jian Yi, Guan Xiaolin and you went fishing at the lake. My big brother was also there with Yan Beicheng and his friends to play.
“I thought that it was just a coincidence. Thinking of it now, most likely my big brother went there for you. Yan Beicheng and the few of them said that they wanted to give him a farewell. My big brother chose the place himself. There are so many places to hold a farewell, why did he choose to go to the lake in such wintery weather?” Qi Chengyue pouted her lips sarcastically.
“I was not there when it happened. I don’t know how you fell into the lake. Although the lake had not frozen entirely, the lake water temperature was as cold as ice during that time of the year. You couldn’t even swim. My brother and his friends rented a boat from Shengyue and they were eating in the cabin. He was sitting beside the window, that’s why he discovered that you had fallen into the lake. He was the first one to jump into the water, even Jian Yi was one step behind.
“Probably he thought that it was unnecessary for him to jump in when he saw my brother going in first to save you, that or he was just afraid. It was my brother who saved you from the lake, the only thing Jian Yi did was just lending a helping hand to pull the both of you out from the lake.
“When my brother sent you to the hospital, he fell sick too. Our whole family hurried to the hospital to visit him. He was having a high fever and fell unconscious, where he slept throughout the night in another ward. Yan Beicheng told our family what happened while he was unconscious.
“Guan Xiaolin mentioned to me that Jian Yi had saved you before, but I know it wasn’t true. I don’t know how Jian Yi told you that made you think that he saved you.
“In fact, my brother had never left your side and accompanied you from the moment he saved you all the way to the hospital. While you were unconscious on the hospital bed, my brother stayed beside you until his body couldn’t take it anymore. The next day, my brother had to rush for his flight once he was awake, that’s why he didn’t get the chance to see you. When I passed by your ward, I saw Jian Yi accompanying you.”
Song Yu placed her hands on her lap, her right hand shifted slightly and grabbed the sides of the sofa tightly.
She definitely did not expect Qi Chengzhi was the one who saved her.
If she had taken a moment to process her thoughts, the reason she had fallen for Jian Yi was because she heard from Guan Xiaolin that Jian Yi had saved her when she fell into the lake, and accompanied her throughout the night and fell ill eventually because of her.
Touched by his actions, she could not help but give more attention toward Jian Yi.
She was only thirteen years old at that time, and it was the age of budding romance. Her first love would always be difficult to forget once her heart was stolen by him.
Moreover, one might subconsciously shape the other person into one’s ideals, and being oblivious to their weaknesses.
It was not until Qi Chengzhi made his way into Song Yu’s heart that she finally saw the true colors of Jian Yi.
If it was the old her, she would not have believed what Qi Chengyue had just told her.
Song Yu was a very loyal girl. She would give her absolute trust to the person she likes. No matter what others said about her partner, she would not believe them. She would only believe what she saw with her own eyes and how well the person treated her.
“Why are you telling me this?” Song Yu asked. “I thought you have always wanted me to break up with your brother.”
“I don’t really like you to be part of the Qi family since I feel disgusted whenever I see you.” Qi Chengyue pursed her lips and sneered, “Until now, I still wish that you’ll leave my brother. However, I don’t want you to bother Jian Yi anymore and I don’t hope for anything else.
“I know that he’s not perfect and has many flaws, but I still love him. I love him so much that I don’t care about his flaws. Can you do that? I just want to let you know that before he was with me, he didn’t like you as much as you thought.”
Song Yu nodded her head. Her calmness surprised Qi Chengyue when she replied, “I know that. Before I got together with Qi Chengzhi, I didn’t like Jian Yi as much as you thought, not even as much as I thought. I was not upset when I knew that you guys were together. I just felt angry that I was lied to. I realized this when Qi Chengzhi entered my life.
“This would be the last time I tell you this. I don’t like Jian Yi. I’m in a really good place with Qi Chengzhi, why would I care about Jian Yi? If you still don’t believe me, you can say whatever you want in the future but just don’t come and bother me.” Song Yu stood up and paused for a moment when she got out of the sofa.
She lowered her head to look at Qi Chengyue and could not resist saying, “Actually, have you ever thought that the person he loved the most is himself? In fact, he’s not into you? You kept putting the blame on me just because you need a reason to justify the way he disregards you.”
Qi Chengyue’s expression changed instantly. She slammed her hand onto the table, giving a loud ‘pang’ and said, “Song Yu! You…”
Even though there were not many people at the cafe, the few turned and stared at them because of Chengyue’s sharp scream.
Qi Chengyue blushed in embarrassment. She pressed her hand on the table but she dared not speak anymore. She glared at Song Yu with a stiff expression.
How dare she criticize Jian Yi for not loving her!
She could not accept that Song Yu managed to trigger something that was buried deep down her heart. Her face flushed, due to anger and humiliation.
Song Yu shook her head gently and turned around to leave.
She then walked back to Qilin. She was surprised that Qi Chengyue did not follow her.
Regardless of the motive behind Qi Chengyue telling her the truth of her drowning incident, she was still grateful that Qi Chengyue was willing to let her know.
She had a great urge to see Qi Chengzhi, so that she could ask him why he never told her about it.
She felt sorry for the man as he did not even receive a simple thank you before he left. Many years passed, and she did not know that he was the one who saved her.
She could not help but ponder; if she had known that he was the one who saved her, would he be the person that she had fallen for instead?
Song Yu shook her head and chuckled.
It did not sound too plausible as she has always been awed by him, what more, she was only thirteen years old when Qi Chengzhi was already twenty-two. He was already an adult in her eyes, an age that was far beyond her years.
She remembered when she was younger, she did not revere him as much. She was still very naive then, and never feared him. Instead, she kept pestering him around.
As she matured and started becoming more sensible, she feared the way Qi Chengzhi had always put on a profound mien and kept her distance from him.
She could not recall much about the time she spent with Qi Chengzhi when she was younger. She was too young to remember those events. Some of the memories were buried deep down in her heart, they had always existed, but not necessarily remembered.
Maybe, there would be a moment that could revive those sealed memories.
Unknowingly, Song Yu had already walked to the reception while she was still deep in her thoughts. She heard someone calling, “Mrs. Qi!”
Song Yu blinked and regained her senses. She looked towards the direction of the voice in surprise and saw the receptionist blush in embarrassment. She said awkwardly, “I mean…no…Miss Song…”
Song Yu beamed gently to calm the nerves of the receptionist before saying, “Is the director busy?”
“I’m not really sure, I… I’ll call and check, but Miss Song, in the morning, the director ordered to let you in whenever you come,” the receptionist called Cheng Dongge as she spoke.
Suddenly, Song Yu stopped her from doing so. She felt that her arrival was too unexpected. What if she is really disrupting his work?
“It’s fine,” Song Yu said softly. She planned to return to Chengshi.
“Song Yu?”
Song Yu heard a voice from behind. When she turned around, she saw Luo Yushu’s tummy bounce up and down while he scampered over.
“You’re here to see our director? Why are you leaving now?” Luo Yushu ran towards her.
“No, that’s not it. I came here for business. I have to return to Chengshi as I’ve finished my discussion.” Song Yu did not explain the details to Luo Yushu.
“You wanted to meet the director just now, am I right?” Luo Yushu asked.
“Is he busy now?” Song Yu asked in return.
Luo Yushu shook his head immediately. “No, he’s not. We have just ended the headquarters meeting. I came down to buy some coffee. The director should be free now. Let’s go, I’ll lead the way.”
Luo Yushu dared not physically touch Song Yu. He placed his hand behind her back to urge her so that she could not leave.
Before she could even think of leaving, Song Yu was already in front of Qi Chengzhi’s office door thanks to Luo Yushu.
In a swift motion, Cheng Dongge knocked on the door on behalf of Song Yu. He opened the door when he heard Qi Chengzhi’s voice. “Young Master Cheng, Miss Song is here.”
Song Yu was still very embarrassed. She feared that he would be annoyed by her unannounced presence during working hours.
She braced herself as she walked in and the door closed behind her.
“Why are you here?” Qi Chengzhi was surprised to see her when he lifted his head. His charming face failed to conceal his joy.
“I came over to discuss something. I thought that I’ll drop by to see you since I’m already here. Am I disturbing you?” She asked while she stood in her place. She felt a little uneasy for no reason.
She looked at his calm and charming face from afar. She could not help but recall his appearance when he was twenty-two years old.
At this moment, it was as if she had gotten to know him once more. She imagined his twenty-two self holding her when she was thirteen years old. He was in his prime years, full of vigor. Her heartbeat started racing uncontrollably. Suddenly, she was crossed by the fact that she was unconscious and missed the chance to feel what it was like to be held under his arms.
Qi Chengzhi did not answer her question. He leaned back in his chair leisurely and said to her, “Come here.”
Song Yu paused for a moment. She hesitated for a while before dragging herself to the front of the desk.
“Why did you separate yourself from me with the desk?” Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows. He was not happy with a wide office desk placed in between them.
Song Yu felt abashed for a moment when she saw a faint smile hanging on the corners of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth. She walked around the office desk and came to him.
His face was right at the position of her abdomen and her soft hands were just beside his arms.
Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand and held hers. He massaged her tender palm all the way to each of her fingers. Song Yu trembled when she felt a thin stream of current spread out from her fingertips, passing through her wrist to her shoulders and then her upper body.
Qi Chengzhi turned the chair to face her, kneading her hand with one hand, the other one wrapped gently around her waist and held her back before pulling her into his arms.
He spread his legs open so that she was clamped in between them. His other hand guided hers by the back of her hand to his back, all the while kneading it lightly. His face was pressed against her abdomen, kissing her through the thin layers of clothing.
“It just so happened that I’m not busy,” he said with a low raspy voice and pressed against her abdomen. The tip of his tongue was prodding at the hem of her shirt, slipping through the slits in between the buttons. He licked her belly button and kept going in circular motions.
Song Yu’s abdomen contracted violently in waves. She was quivering uncontrollably under his tease.
“Qi Chengzhi, we’re in your office.” She used her free hand to push on his shoulder. She wanted to use some force but she could not. Instead, she clutched it tightly.
“No one will enter knowing you’re here. I feel secure with Cheng Dongge guarding outside,” he mumbled while planting wavering kisses on her skin. He inched upwards slowly, along with three slender fingers to unbutton her shirt.
“…” Song Yu’s cheeks were flushed red. She wondered if Cheng Dongge had expected them to do something inappropriate upon her arrival?
Before Song Yu could figure it out, she lowered her head and saw the buttons on her shirt unbuttoned, one by one.
He kissed her chest separated by her bra. With a single push of his hand, she was seated on his lap.
“Qi Chengzhi, stop fooling around.” Song Yu shuddered after being kissed by him.
“I’m not fooling around. I’ve missed you so much since you left this morning,” he said as he continued to caress her soft skin. His voice was throaty and raspy. It sounded like a low note made by a string instrument, vibrating on her skin stroke after stroke.
“If it wasn’t for the poor location, I would’ve had you in the car this morning.” His searing lips grazed her neck and explored further to reach the corner of her sweet mouth. “Luckily you told Chang Lai to pick me up. The fire in me hasn’t died down even after the arrival of Chang Lai. If you hadn’t come here, I would’ve gone over for you in the afternoon.”
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