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1-25

“Miss Song, when I heard that I was going to meet the architect from your company today, I thought I would be meeting a man! I didn’t imagine you to be a woman and a really young one at it,” said the middle-aged man sitting next to her at the dining table.

He carried a beer belly typical of men in their forties. Song Yu could smell alcohol in his breath as he spoke.

“Manager Luo, don’t underestimate Sister Song. She’s experienced despite her young age. She has handled the design for many projects. For instance, residences such as Park Royale and the Beautiful Time were designed by Sister Song. Her architectural style is well recognized by the industry.” Xiao Chen 1passed Song Yu’s design over to Manager Luo. Xiao Chen was from the sales department and was tasked to take care of the quotation this time.

In general, those who started their career in sales would be relatively young. For instance, Song Yu graduated a year ago when she was twenty-four. Xiao Chen was younger than Song Yu by two years.

“Manager Luo, please take a look. Furthermore, while our company’s price isn’t the lowest, it’s definitely the fairest. Our projects had always gone well and to-date, we haven’t received any complaints. The feedback on our residential development is also very good.”

“There’s no rush.” Luo Yushu brushed it aside and continued to pour alcohol for Song Yu. “Miss Song, it’s a rare occurrence for me to meet such a young and beautiful architect who is at the same time talented. Cheers, this is for you.”

“Manager Luo, Sister Song has a low tolerance for alcohol. Let me take this.” Xiao Chen offered to take it for her.

“I’m sure she can handle a glass or two…” Luo Yushu acted as if he was slightly annoyed. “I can tell that Miss Song is who is someone easy going.”

Song Yu smiled and picked up the glass. “Manager Luo, I appreciate your favor but I’m actually allergic to alcohol. I can tolerate a glass or two but not more than that. It would be a bummer if rashes creep all over my face or if I puke and make a mess, no?”

“Sure, just take this,” said Luo Yushu happily.

Song Yu downed it in one shot. Luo Yushu was delighted. “Wonderful! Miss Song, in addition to being so understanding, you’re also young and beautiful. Do you have a boyfriend yet?”

Song Yu suddenly put her hand over her stomach and said, “I’m beginning to feel nauseous. Apologies, Manager Luo, I have to go to the washroom.”

Song Yu ran out before Luo Yushu could say anything else.

She entered the washroom. She propped herself up against the sink using both hands. She let out a sigh of relief. She was afraid that by giving Luo Yushu an inch, he would demand a mile. She had to excuse herself from there!

She lingered for a while but did not dare to stay too long. She began to step out.

“Song Yu!” She heard a surprised voice.

Song Yu saw there was a group of three coming at her. The one who called her out was Guan Xiaolin, a friend she had known since childhood.

Ever since her family declared bankrupt, she kept in contact with only a few people; Guan Xiaolin was one of them.

The two next to her looked familiar but that was it, she could not recall who they were.

“Song Yu? Is that really you? I wouldn’t have recognized you if she didn’t call you out,” said one of them. “I recall that your family declared bankrupt during the second year of high school. I haven’t heard from you ever since. Why didn’t you contact us? Even if you were broke, did you think we would give you a cold shoulder?”

“Song Yu, are you here for dinner?” asked the other lady curiously. She had malicious intent written all over her face.

“Yeah.” Song Yu had no intention of elaborating further.

It was not easy to set up a meeting with someone from Qilin. Hence, she selected a posh restaurant, Shengyue, to demonstrate her sincerity. She took a calculated risk by doing so, little did she know that she would be so unfortunate to bump into her old acquaintances from the upper social circle.

“What a coincidence! We’re here for a gathering, come and join us! They’re all our classmates from Jixia High School. We haven’t seen you ever since your family went broke and transferred schools, let’s catch up! What’s up with your family now?” As she spoke, she wanted to drag Song Yu along by grabbing her arm.

“No, I have something to attend to. Sorry, I’ve got to go.” Song Yu dodged.

“What’s with the rush? If you’ve got an appointment with someone, you can get them to join us. We mean no harm. We were classmates once and we care about you. If you’re caught in any trouble, we can even help you out.” She could not hide the look of disdain on her face as she spoke.

“Song Yu, indeed! We mean well. I can tell you’re having a tough time by the way you dress, where did you get these from? The Song Yu I knew would never wear something like this. We can lend a hand if you’re in such bad shape. I have lots of clothes that I no longer bother to wear. Given we are similar in size, I can give you the clothes I no longer want. Even those clothes would look better than what you’re wearing now.”

“Lijun, don’t say that. Look, Song Yu is in her business suit. I suppose you’re here for business? It’s quite a pity that the daughter of the Song family has to close deals over dinner tables.” The lady who spoke first responded with a peculiar tone, “I heard that women are often in the unfavorable position when they’re the ones to close the deal.”

Her intonation and expression suggested that Song Yu had to use underhanded tricks to be granted the business.

“Li Qianyi, Wu Lijun, that’s enough! You better get going if you’re here to play a joke on Song Yu. Before this, Song Yu was someone you couldn’t even claim a connection with. Now that she’s in dire straits, you’re rubbing salt on her wound. You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Guan Xiaolin wore a cold expression and said.

“Although my family went bankrupt, I’m earning my own living. Regardless of your disdain on what I use or wear, I earn an honest living and I don’t think it’s something that I should be ashamed of,” Song Yu spoke indifferently. It made them feel as though they should be the ones being scorned at.

” Song Song 1 …” Guan Xiaolin stunned as she tried to speak, then stared wide open at what was behind Song Yu.

She was not the only one, as Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun behaved similarly. Their faces wore a complex expression as if they were utterly stunned.

Song Yu was struck. She did not think that her words would have such an impact on them. Before she turned around, she could sense a strong presence behind her back. What hovered above her head was a shadow of a man.

” Xiao Yu 2 .” A voice seemed to be approaching like a mellow baritone rang from above.

“Xiao Yu.” A voice seemed to be approaching like a mellow baritone that rang from above.

Song Yu’s lips were pecked before she could even respond. She could see the face clearly even though he moved as quick as a flash.

“What took you so long? I thought you got into trouble.” The voice next to her ear was incredibly intimate.

Song Yu looked up in surprise. She stared at the familiar face – handsome and mature. His eyes could not be seen clearly as his glasses were reflecting light.

Why was he there?

“Let’s go.” Ignoring the shocked expression on their faces, Qi Chengzhi went ahead and grabbed the stunned Song Yu’s shoulder. He walked past Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun as if they were transparent.

Song Yu’s heart was still pounding. She could not comprehend the whole event of what had just happened.

“Xiaolin, what just happened? Wasn’t that Young Master Cheng? When did Song Yu get associated with him? Didn’t… Didn’t she call off the engagement with his younger brother, Qi Chengji? Why is she with the elder brother now?” Li Qianyi was still stunned by the incident.

She gazed at Qi Chengzhi’s tall and erect back and thought, ‘He is definitely beyond my reach, how does Song Yu possibly do it?’

“Which room are you heading to?” he asked.

Song Yu was still dazed from the kiss before and the warmth on her shoulder. She did not hear Qi Chengzhi’s question.

“Which room?” he asked again. He was no longer murmuring like a lover. He reverted back to his normal voice as he spoke – composed and cold.

Song Yu finally recovered from her daze. She turned around frantically and she realized they were standing right outside the room she was headed to.

“This is it,” Song Yu said as she tried to keep her cool.

“You’re welcome,” Qi Chengzhi replied as he opened the door. Song Yu could not stop him in time as it all happened within the blink of an eye. She still wondered if his reply was about getting her out of trouble or getting her to the room.

Qi Chengzhi’s face clouded over when he was greeted by a foul smell – a mixture of alcohol and food as he entered the room.

“Miss Song, you’re…” Luo Yushu turned around as he heard the door opened. ‘Clang!’ The fully-filled glass that he held landed on the table; alcohol dripped along the side of the table onto his pants.

“Di… Director!” Luo Yushu stood up all of a sudden. His gaze fell on the hand on Song Yu’s shoulder. His face turned pale as he was bewildered to have thought about that wicked intention of sleeping with Song Yu.

“Sister Song?” Xiao Chen was surprised too. He did not expect this sudden twist of plot – went to the toilet and brought a man back. What was more – the man was the director of Qilin!

Song Yu was still in the state of absentia when she touched her lips. She thought to herself, ‘It was nice that he got me out of trouble, but why did he kiss me? Was he afraid that it was not realistic enough?’

Qi Chengzhi caught her little jittery act. His unfathomable smile made Luo Yushu feel so guilty that he wanted to kowtow and admit his fault.

He nodded and said, “I’m just passing by.” Then, left the room immediately after he said so. Not once did he turn back, as if he was actually just passing by and had nothing to do with Song Yu.

“Song… Miss Song, the director and yourself are…” Luo Yushu’s legs were trembling as he cautiously asked.

“Nothing. I got into trouble with some drunk hooligans outside and Young Master Cheng came to my rescue.” Song Yu organized her thoughts and put on a formularized smile.

Nobody other than Song Yu would know who the real hooligan was.

Luo Yushu could not believe it. He knew that their director was not the kind who particularly enjoyed helping others.

“Then, why was the director’s hand on your shoulder? Miss Song, please forgive me if it’s too intrusive of a question to ask, ” said Luo Yushu cautiously as he apologetically smiled.

“There’s nothing to hide. The most effective way to get rid of a hooligan is by pretending to be my boyfriend,” Song Yu explained.

Luo Yushu was dire to ask, ‘This is an upmarket restaurant, where could the hooligan come from?’ Looking at Song Yu’s sincere smile, he decided to keep the question to himself.

Post the incident, as Luo Yushu feared the possible consequences, he gave up on the thought of making Song Yu drunk. He behaved himself while he interacted with Song Yu. Keeping conversations that were only business-related, he also accepted the portfolio that contained Song Yu’s previous architectural designs.

After the dinner, Song Yu said, “Xiao Chen, please send Manager Luo home.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Luo Yushu spoke elatedly as he was a little tipsy from the drinks.

“It’s my pleasure.” Xiao Chen lent an arm to support Luo Yushu. “Sister Song, will you be alright alone?”

“No problem.” Song Yu shook her head.

After Xiao Chen left with Luo Yushu in his arms, Song Yu then let out a sigh of relief as she left the restaurant.

There was a silver Buick Regal by the roadside in front of the restaurant. A man who leaned on the car shouted as he saw Song Yu, “Song Song!”

“Jian Yi! What’re you doing here?” Song Yu trotted toward him in her high heels.

“It’s hard to get a cab at this hour. I’m here to pick you up and to check on you.” Jian Yi smiled and gazed into Song Yu’s eyes. His smile was as gentle and refreshing as the moon above.

“I don’t know yet but Luo Yushu promised to recommend me to his supervisor.” Song Yu sighed.

“Come, get in.” Jian Yi invited as he held the car door for her.

Right behind them, there was a Range Rover. Qi Chengzhi retracted his hand from opening the car door as he watched Song Yu entering Jian Yi’s car.

He smiled and sighed silently, ‘Who would’ve thought that once again, I let someone else pick her up under my watch?’

As the Buick Regal sped away, Qi Chengzhi followed behind closely.

At the entrance of the restaurant, Li Qianyi sneered. “Song Yu is indeed capable. Just before, she was flirting with Young Master Cheng and now, she got on another man’s car.”

Guan Xiaolin watched as the car disappeared into the distance without a word.

Guan Xiaolin watched as the car disappears into the distance without a word.

“Thanks for helping me out this time. If it wasn’t for you, I would never have the chance to even see him in person.” In the car, Song Yu turned to look at the clean-shaven and handsome side profile of Jian Yi. This was the man that she had been in love with for thirteen years.

“I didn’t do much. I’m merely a manager in Qilin’s engineering department. If I could I would have helped you pull the strings directly,” said Jian Yi as he smiled.

Song Yu shook her head. “You’ve helped me a lot.”

It would be impossible for a fresh graduate like her to get an architect job if it was not for Jian Yi’s recommendation.

By the time she graduated from university, Jian Yi had already built a substantial network within Qilin. Through connections, he introduced her to the company, Chengshi.

Subsequently, she was admitted to postgraduate study – all when she worked part-time at Chengshi – and graduated a year ago.

“We’re here.” Jian Yi parked the car downstairs and he got off with Song Yu.

“Thanks. Drive home safe,” said Song Yu. Not only did the winter breeze mess up her hair, but her voice also sounded as if it was dispersed in the wind.

“Song Yu, I want to let you know that you don’t ever need to thank me for anything.” Jian Yi gazed at her softly as if he was trying to convey a message.

Song Yu blushed at that comment and lowered her head shyly.

“It’s cold, head indoors. I will leave when I see your lights on,” said Jian Yi.

Song Yu nodded. Halfway through, she turned around to look at Jian Yi again before she went upstairs.

Qi Chengzhi wound down the car window and lit up a cigarette. Jian Yi drove away when he saw Song Yu’s house brighten up.

He positioned the cigarette between his lips with his slender index and middle finger and let go the moment it touched his lips.

He opened the door and threw the unsmoked cigarette on the floor then extinguish it with the sole of his shoe.

The delicate fragrance of Song Yu’s lips still lingered in between his lips and he did not want the cigarette to ruin it.

He lowered his head and looked at the zipper on his pants – the calmed penis. He let out a bitter laugh.

Shamefully, he got an erection from a light peck.

He dialed a number using his cellphone. Qi Chengzhi said with his usual cold and composed voice, “Chenglin, it’s me. I’ll take care of the hotel development project.”

He hung up after he made the message clear. On the other side of the phone, Qi Chenglin was still puzzled by the purpose of the call.

As Song Yu got home, she reached for the switch. Her small studio apartment lit up.

Property prices in B City 1 were insanely high. The rental for a studio apartment was near the upper limit of her budget.

Song Yu kicked away her high heels and crashed on her bed. She let out a long sigh, then closed and rubbed her eyes. It was a long day, she felt so tired that she did not want to move anymore.

At that ungodly hour, her phone rang. Song Yu let out a sigh and answered the call as she saw that it was from Guan Xiaolin. “Xiaolin.”

“Song Yu, are you home already?” Guan Xiaolin’s voice could be heard from the other end of the call.

“Yea, I just arrived.” Song Yu smiled.

“I didn’t expect Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun to behave like that at the restaurant just now. If I knew, I wouldn’t have called out to you. That’s just how they’re like. I hope you don’t take it to heart. I won’t hang out with them again in the future,” said Guan Xiaolin angrily.

“You’re telling me to let it go but you seem angrier than me.” Song Yu smiled and said, “I’m fine, really. I was never close to them. It took me some time to recall who they are by their names. Furthermore, we hold different values. I don’t think being self-sufficient is anything to be ashamed of. Don’t stop hanging out with them because of this small matter. After all, connections matter to you.”

“You’re still like the Song Yu I used to know. It’s hard for you to care about anything as if nothing can make you angry. It seems like I have more of a role in your life than yourself.” Guan Xiaolin shook her head as she did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“I know you’re doing this for my goodness’ sake. I appreciate it. I don’t think I should even get angry at such trivial matters, it’ll be at the expense of my health,” Song Yu spoke softly.

“Fine, I can’t beat you in that. By the way, Song Yu, be honest with me. What’s between you and Qi Chengzhi? Are you dating? I can’t believe that you’re hiding such big news from me. Do you really treat me as your friend?” Guan Xiaolin’s did not sound angry saying that.

“Don’t dramatize things. Since I transferred in the second year of high school after the bankruptcy, the engagement with the Qi family was also broken. I didn’t keep in touch with anyone from that circle except for you and you know this. I’ve never seen Qi Chengzhi for as long as my family has been bankrupt. I was scared of him even during my engagement with Qi Chengji. Furthermore, why would someone as unfathomable as him be interested in me?” Song Yu explained. She began to feel a slight headache at the mention of Qi Chengzhi.

“Really?” Guan Xiaolin sounded suspicious because of how dazzling and shocking the kiss was. She could not wipe the image off her head.

Song Yu could not be bothered to explain further. “Well, it’s okay if you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you. What’s with the rush?” Guan Xiaolin continued, “I wanted to call out to you when you were getting on Jian Yi’s car at the entrance of the restaurant. However, it was just too late. You guys had left.”

The conversation went on with Guan Xiaolin until Song Yu let out a yawn accidentally. She could hide her fatigue no more and this was caught by Guan Xiaolin. Xiaolin urged Song Yu to get some rest and hung up after.

Song Yu dragged her tired body to the bathroom, removed her makeup, and took a shower before she went to bed. She fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

A fifteen-year-old teenager was besieged by a bunch of high school students. When a twelve-year-old girl stumbled upon them, she got her bodyguard to save him.

“What’s your name?” asked the girl. She was smiling. Her eyes were gentle and kind like the spring breeze.

” Jian Yi 1 ,” he answered, bearing the pain.

” Jian Yi 2 ? Do you by any chance have any siblings called Jian Dan 3 ?” the girl joked.

“…”

The scene changed. A chubby kid’s hand was holding a pen – a larger hand was guiding the smaller chubby hand to write on a paper.

Before she could see what was written, the scene was suddenly flooded. Water entered her orifices – her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Whenever she tried to breathe, water would rush in through her nostrils and throat. She could neither speak nor breathe and the pain in her chest caused her to cry out.

Song Yu woke up with a jerk. She touched her forehead and it was soaked with cold sweat. She saw a dawning sky as she turned to look out of her window. After taking a glance at the time, she got out of bed.

Song Yu was baffled as to why would she dream of such weird dreams. The first dream was when she first met Jian Yi. Ever since she saved him from the pinch, they became good friends. Together with Guan Xiaolin, the three became inseparable.

The third dream was about the incident where she almost drowned. It had been a long time since it last appeared in her dreams.

As for the second dream, she was certain that she had never experienced it before.

She was also certain that she did not lose any memories upon bring saved from drowning. She was unable to make head or tail of the second dream.

Song Yu shook her head and washed away the cold sweat. She headed out for work after dressing up and a simple breakfast.

“Song Yu, I heard last night the damsel in distress was saved by a hero! Tell me what’s between you and the Qi family’s eldest son! He even had his hand on your shoulder!” The moment she entered the office, Ruan Danchen dragged her aside. His twinkling eyes were expressing curiosity for gossips.

Song Yu was stunned for a while. She could not bring herself to laugh nor to cry and said, “Is that from Xiao Chen? I didn’t expect a man to spread gossip so soon! I can’t believe you’re so credulous. To him, helping me was a piece of cake. If there was really something between us, would I need to spend so much time and effort and exhaust all possibilities just to get to Luo Yushu?”

“That’s true. However, given that you’ve had the encounter with the eldest son of Qi family, why don’t you take the opportunity?” Ruan Danchen put a finance magazine on Song Yu’s table and said, “A man of such quality isn’t common.”

Song Yu lowered her head and glanced at Qi Chengzhi’s photo on the magazine cover. He looked as if he was casually sitting there with no intention to pose for the shoot. Being merely thirty-four-year-old, his depth and reservation could still make one tremble in fear. He was a man who was unceremonious, but at the same time, he had an imposing manner.

“Stop dreaming. It’s more realistic for me to wish that we win the tender for Qilin’s hotel development project.” As Song Yu spoke, the phone rang and she answered.

It was from Luo Yushu. “Miss Song, I’ve handed your design to the management. Our director would like to meet you in person to discuss the design.”

It was from Luo Yushu. “Miss Song, I’ve handed your design over to the management. Our director would like to meet you in person to further discuss the design.”

“In person?” Song Yu voiced her doubt uncontrollably.

“Yes, our director places great importance to the development of this leisure hotel project so he’s personally taking over responsibilities for it,” said Luo Yushu. His tone became even more polite.

The director’s special assistant, Cheng Dongge, came looking for him even before Luo Yushu handed in the design that morning. He expressed that the director would be personally responsible for the project and wanted Luo Yushu to contact Song Yu.

Luo Yushu immediately connected the dots as he recalled the ambiguous interaction the two have had the night before. He would not believe Song Yu’s denial of her relationship with the director even if he was going to be beaten to death.

“When will Young Master Cheng be free?” Song Yu would not let an important business deal such as this go despite how shady it seemed.

“Tomorrow morning at eleven. Would you be free then, Miss Song?” Luo Yushu’s attitude toward her was as if she was the director’s wife. “The director only has this one-hour slot before lunchtime tomorrow.”

“Sure, I’ll be there on time. Thank you so much, Manager Luo.”

“Don’t mention it, I didn’t do anything. Miss Song, it’s all because of your excellent design. I’ll need you to hook me up the next time we’re working together.”

She shook her head after he hung up. It was weird, as she would not be able to hook him up in any way.

Ruan Danchen spoke excitedly, “How was it? Was it successful?”

“I don’t know. He just asked me to bring the design to him tomorrow for further discussion. It’s not for certain yet.” Song Yu was not confident until she could secure the contract.

“Given that you’ll be discussing the matter in person, there’ll definitely be a chance! Do you think that Qi Chengzhi…”

“Don’t you dare!” Song Yu interrupted her.

“Yo, Song Yu, you have skills, don’t you. Being able to hook up with someone so powerful just over one dinner. Where did you have this dinner, I wonder?” Wang Liwei spoke sarcastically with a peculiar tone.

“We had it at Shengyue. You can check it out next time,” Song Yu replied as if she did not get what Wang Liwei was implying.

“You know that’s not what I mean! I heard Luo Yushu is famous for taking advantage of women during business meetings. I don’t know what dirty tricks you’ll have to resort to in order to get this deal.” Wang Liwei slandered her directly as jealousy suffused her face.

“Who knew? Maybe you guys were eating in the hotel room!”

“I have much higher standards than you. I’m not going to fall head over heels just because someone carries the title of manager. Maybe you can try sleeping with Luo Yushu and see if you can score the case?” Song Yu sneered.

“You…”

“This is a workplace, not somewhere for you to create unnecessary drama. If you have so much time, why don’t you design something useful instead? Make use of the space you’re occupying. I have to work.” Song Yu lowered her head and began studying the information regarding Qiling’s leisure hotel. She no longer entertained Wang Liwei.

“Hmph! Who do you think you are? How sanctimonious!” Wang Liwei returned to her seat in distaste.

Song Yu’s eyes glanced over the magazine at the side. She hesitated for a moment before flipping through it.

Song Yu’s eyes glanced over the magazine at the side. She hesitated for a moment before flipping through it.

It was mentioned in the magazine that Qi Chengzhi had volunteered to be transferred from Qilin Technology to Qilin Property 1  as the director. While it seemed like he was promoted from being a general manager to a director, the reality was that Qilin Property was a subsidiary company of Qilin Technology. It was actually a demotion.

The public suspected that Qi Chengzhi got into conflict with the family. A daring reporter questioned him on the possibility, to which Qi Chengzhi replied, “I like to be addressed as the director.”

“…”

…

The next day, Song Yu arrived at Qilin as agreed. In fact, she arrived earlier than the appointment time.

“Special Assistant Cheng, I have an appointment with Young Master Cheng,” said Song Yu as she stood in front of Cheng Dongge.

“Young Master Cheng is still in a meeting, Miss Song. Please wait for a moment,” said Cheng Dongge.

Song Yu smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, I’m early after all.”

Cheng Dongge smiled and ordered someone to serve coffee and snacks.

Song Yu only had the coffee and not the snacks. What she did not expect was that the meeting would last until twelve noon.

When Qi Chengzhi came out of the conference room, he halted as he saw Song Yu. “Sorry, I didn’t expect the meeting to last this long. Let’s have lunch together and we can discuss there.”

Song Yu no longer thought that Qi Changzhi was intentionally putting on airs by making her wait as she saw his beaten expression. The two then headed to a restaurant nearby and got a private room.

Song Yu felt rather anxious to spend time alone with Qi Chengzhi but it was not because she was afraid of being taken advantage of.

“Young Master Cheng, this is the first cut of my design proposal. Let me know where you’d like me to amend as appropriate.” Song Yu passed her design proposal over to Qi Changzhi.

Qi Chengzhi only took one glance before he closed it. “You shouldn’t have cut the ties completely back then, Chengji was worried about you when you lost contact.”

“I needed to have a clean break from my past. Given that my family was bankrupt, I no longer belonged to that world. Clinging on to it only made me feel uncomfortable. I also didn’t have any intention to keep in touch with anyone from that world.” Song Yu did not like to look back. She tried to get back on topic. “Young Master Cheng, my design proposal…”

Qi Chengzhi interrupted her. “Why do you work in this industry then? You’ve met with many of the top management in the industry. Someone will recognize you one day.”

“Fortunately, none of them did. Only those in the top hierarchy would know I was engaged with Chengji. Even then, it was only a handful of them. Even though I was exposed to the top management from various companies throughout the years, none of them has recognized me. They wouldn’t even associate my name to that ‘Song Yu’. None of my colleagues are aware as well.”

The ‘Great Eight Family’ was not something everyone would know about.

“How long have you been working in this company?”

Song Yu gave up on trying to bring the topic back to her design proposal. She answered to Qi Chengzhi’s curiosity, “Three years.”

“Young Master Cheng, I’m just trying to make a living on solid grounds now. I don’t want to talk about the past, neither do I want to get involved with the people from before.” Song Yu spoke quickly, in case she was interrupted again, “Qilin’s development of this seven-star leisure hotel is an opportunity every architect in the country is eyeing on.”

“Young Master Cheng, I’m just trying to make a living on solid grounds. I don’t want to talk about the past, neither do I want to get involved with the people from before.” Song Yu spoke quickly, in case she was interrupted again, “The seven-star leisure hotel that Qilin wants to develop is a great opportunity for every architect in the country.”

“Typically, only foreign architects are hired to take part in a landmark project like the seven-star hotel. Even if local architects were to bid for the project, they wouldn’t be given a chance. Hence, this time it’s not merely a big project for me. It’s an opportunity for me to gain a foothold and a name in the industry. I’m going to give my all this time.”

“I have to admit, I don’t have a huge advantage over my competitors. I’m relatively inexperienced and all my previous designs were for residential developments. But if there’s one thing I can say for sure about myself, it would be that my design style is unique. It’s going to be topical if Qilin hires someone fresh for the project.”

She did not know whether her statements struck a chord, but Qi Chengzhi had turned the pages and begun to read the document in detail.

Song Yu was fidgety throughout the dinner. She had no idea what she was eating, as she paid full attention to Qi Chengzhi’s expression. Unfortunately, he did not reveal any of his thoughts. She had no idea whether he was satisfied or not.

Qi Chengzhi closed the document. “I will take this back and look into it in detail. This time around, there are a lot of companies bidding for this project. I need to make a comparison, and hence I can’t give you an answer straight away.”

“I understand.”

“Let’s go. I will send you back to the company.” Qi Chengzhi stood up.

“I will take a cab back.” Song Yu followed suit.

“Do you want to skip the afternoon’s work?” Qi Chengzhi looked at his watch.

Song Yu took note of his action and glanced over her watch as well. She then realized it was already a quarter past one, and in fifteen minutes’ time, she would need to clock in at work. She only took the morning off.

“I will have to trouble you, Young Master Cheng.”

There was less space in the car than in the private room. Seated at the passenger seat, the man next to her exerted a forceful presence, so she was careful not to breathe too hard.

She did not have anything to say, as was the same with Qi Chengzhi. The tension continued to build up until it became quintessential.

Her phone hummed in her bag. Song Yu let out a sigh of relief and picked it up. “Mum.”

“Come home for dinner tonight. Call Jian Yi along too. He has helped you a lot in work and I’ve been wanting to thank him,” Yu Qianyin said.

“Why so sudden? I’ll have to call and ask first. I’m not even sure if he’s free.”

“I asked. He said he’s free and he’ll pick you up after work,” said Yu Qianyin.

“Mom.” Song Yu sighed, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Am I not telling you ahead of time? Jian Yi is a great guy and I can see he’s interested in you. If you like him, you should tell him soon. Otherwise, a great guy like him will be snatched away if you keep mum about it.” Yu Qianyin spoke matter-of-factly, “You two exchange flirting glances all the time, but just don’t want to decide on the relationship. Do you know how anxious it makes me to just watch from the side?”

“What are you talking about? Alright, I will see what I can do. Uhm, bye.” When Song Yu hung up, she glanced at Qi Chengzhi, feeling embarrassed.

She was aware of how loud her phone was especially after Ruan Danchen had mentioned that she needed to change her phone. Otherwise, people could easily snatch her business away just by eavesdropping her conversations without needing to go through the messages on her phone.

To her surprise not only did Qi Chengzhi not glance at her, he also did not have any reaction at all.

When she arrived at the office, Song Yu said dryly, “Thanks for sending me back.”

Qi Chengzhi nodded and said nothing.

Back in the office, Ruan Danchen went straight to the point. “How did it go?”

Song Yu shook her head. “I don’t know yet. He took the design proposal and he said he needed time to look over it. It’s too competitive this time around.”

“Hmph… Someone thought she could be the designer for a landmark building! She should really keep her self-centeredness in check,” Wang Liwei sneered at the side.

“No need to entertain her, she’s just a crazy b*tch.” Ruan Danchen pulled Song Yu away.

“Who did you call a b*tch?” Wang Liwei stood up and glared at them.

“It’s referring to whoever that reacted to that,” said Ruan Danchen bluntly.

Song Yu shook her head to express that there was no need to lower herself to Wang Liwei’s level.

When the workday was over, Wang Liwei saw Jian Yi waiting for Song Yu at the entrance of the company. She said with a peculiar tone, “Such an indecent private life.”

When Song Yu saw that the back seats were full of gifts, she asked, “Why did you buy so much stuff? It’s not the first time you’ve been to my place for dinner.”

“They are all inexpensive but practical stuff.” Jian Yi laughed.

“The fact that you bought so much is going to make my mom call me out for being inconsiderate,” Song Yu said after letting out a sigh.

“That’s how I can get auntie to invite me over more frequently!” Jian Yi glanced at her, implying something more with his words.

The car stopped at Song Yu’s house. It was an old residential area. Looking at the crude brown mud wall, Song Yu thought to herself that her parents would have never imagined to be staying in a place like this. The bankruptcy had changed everything.

The two-bedroom house her parents stayed in was not much bigger than her small apartment.

The moment they stepped in, Yu Qianyin welcomed them warmly. “This kid… Why do you always bring so much stuff over? Song Yu, you should’ve stopped him!”

“Don’t blame Song Song. She didn’t know about it.” Jian Yi smiled and sent everything to the kitchen.

“Dinner is almost ready. Go and take a seat. Song Yu’s dad talks about you all the time. You… You wouldn’t even come if it weren’t for my invitation.” Yu Qianyin waved her spatula around as if she was angry.

“I’m just afraid that if I visited too often, you guys wouldn’t appreciate me as much.” Jian Yi walked into the kitchen and continued, “Auntie, your cooking is beyond words. This smells so good.”

“Sweet talk. I would appreciate it more if you visited every day. Regardless of how good my cooking is, it doesn’t motivate you to visit enough.” While it seemed like Yu Qianyin was complaining, she was smiling brightly.

Song Yu could never imagine that Yu Qianyin, who had never cooked before the bankruptcy, would get used to the lifestyle of a typical housewife.

Song Yu could never imagine that Yu Qianyin, who had never cooked before bankruptcy, would ever get used to the lifestyle of a typical housewife.

“Stop hanging around here. It’s greasy and smelly. Go out and chat with Mr. Song. Song Yu, stay around and help.” Yu Qianyin chased one away and kept the other around.

Jian Yi smiled and glanced at Song Yu before he heading out.

Yu Qianyin grabbed Song Yu and whispered in her ear, “You need to make it clear to me today. What do you think about Jian Yi? Do you like him?”

“Mom, can you not?” Song Yu said. Her face was flushed.

Yu Qianyin knew her daughter well. She could tell Song Yu was into Jian Yi by her reaction.

Yu Qianyin was raging at Song Yu’s cowardice. She poked her head and said, “Look at yourself! If you like someone, you have to go for it instead of waiting for him to come after you. If that’s your approach, the dinner will turn cold! You’ve been passive ever since you were little. You weren’t bothered when Qi Chengji fell in love with someone. On the contrary, you supported him! Now, you’re doing the same thing with Jian Yi. If Jian Yi gets sick of waiting and goes for someone else instead, what’re you going to do?”

“There aren’t many good men around. The competition for a good man is going to be fierce. If one appears, a bunch of women will pounce at him like hungry tigers while you’re still dawdling about! All you know is work and more work! If you’re always so busy, when will you have the time to date? How many men would like a woman who only cares about her career?”

“Mom, I got a call. Let me pick it up!” Song Yu quickly took out the ringing phone from her pocket.

Yu Qianyin was so angry that she expanded more energy while stir-frying, causing a loud clattering sound as the spatula hit the wok.

“Hello.” Song Yu picked up the call.

“Hey, it’s me, Qi Chengzhi.”

Song Yu was stunned. She did not ask why he had her number. It was simple—Luo Yushu had it.

The sound of the kitchen hood was too loud, hence she stepped out.

“Young Master Cheng.”

“I’ve taken a look at your design proposal. The idea is good, but I need to discuss some areas with you. Are you available right now? I’m heading to your company 1 .” Over the phone, Qi Chengzhi sounded composed.

“This…” Song Yu looked at the door behind and asked, “Is it okay if we talk over it tomorrow?”

“I have an appointment with Guanyu’s architect tomorrow. By the day after we will have the meeting to discuss whose design we are going to use.”

“…” It meant that there would be no other time other than tonight. If she could not answer Qi Chengzhi’s questions, any flaw in the proposal could cause her to lose the bidding opportunity.

“I will head back now,” said Song Yu.

Qi Chengzhi hung up and began to hum happily. ” There’s no need to be obsessed with me, as I’m just a legend. I’ve never felt lonely because you’re always there with me. 2 ”

While humming, he called someone. “Changju, how about we have an artificial snow show tonight?”

Song Yu returned home and hesitated to enter the kitchen. “Mom…”

“What’s up?” Yu Qianyin could tell that Song Yu had something to say just by looking at her behavior.

“What’s up?” Yu Qianying could tell that Song Yu had something to say just by looking at her behavior.

“Nothing, just some last-minute matters with the company, which I’ll have to…”

“Are you working overtime again? You’re always working overtime, for you to come home is such a rare occasion. I even thought of hooking you up with Jian Yi but you’re not making it any easier for me. Maybe you should just spend the rest of your life with your job!”

“Ma. This business really is important.” Song Yu acted like a spoiled child and tugged lightly at Yu Qianying’s woolen sweater.

Yu Qianying shook Song Yu’s hand off moodily. “Go, go, go! Go and take care of your business!”

The argument from the kitchen could be heard from the living room, prompting Jian Yi and Song Donglin to enter the kitchen.

“What happened?” Song Donglin removed his presbyopia glasses and rubbed its lens against his shirt.

“All she knows is to work and she never knows when to come home! It was so difficult to get her to come home today! Yet she said she has to leave just after one phone call. All she thinks about is her business. When will she be able to get married?” Yu Qianying was curt in front of Jian Yi, as if her words were specifically directed for him to hear.

Song Yi smiled shyly at Jian Yi. He returned her smile with a wink and a smile of his own.

“I’m sorry, Jian Yi, I have some matters that need to be dealt with immediately.” Song Yu walked over to Jian Yi, then looked down and pouted her lips. “I was the one who invited you over for dinner yet I can’t finish the meal with you.”

“Don’t worry about it, there’s always another time. Let me drive you there.” Jian Yi had been meaning to pat her head – he lifted his hand to do so but stopped halfway since he felt that it was improper to pat her in front of her parents.

Before Song Yu could answer, Yu Qianying snapped and said, “Nonsense! The traffic is congested at the moment. It was already half past seven when you came. The journey to send her and come back will take two hours and the food would be cold by then. You were invited here because we wanted to have dinner with you. Let her go herself. You stay here.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about me. It’s only gonna take a while for me to reach there by cab. You don’t need to send me.” Song Yu smiled and touched his shirt sleeve lightly to make him feel more at ease.

“Ma, I’ll be back on Saturday. Promise,” Song Yu turned and said.

“Tell me only if you’re certain you can come back. I don’t want to be cooking spicy stir-fried squid if you’re not eating.” Despite pulling a long face, Yu Qianying still loved Song Yu dearly, and was she not hinting that she would be cooking Song Yu’s favorite spicy stir-fried squid?

Song Yu smiled and replied, “I’ll get going. I’ll call you both tonight.”

Jian Yi still insisted on sending her while Yu Qianying adamantly prevented him from doing so.

Song Donglin spoke only after Song Yu left. “It’s not easy for our daughter to make money. She may always be busy with work but she’s doing so for the sake of this household. Don’t be so hard on her all the time.”

Yu Qianying’s sighed while her eyes were turning red. She glanced at Jian Yi and brought out the dishes she cooked. She shook her head as she said, “Song Yu, my child, we’ve been burdening you.”

…

…

Song Yu hailed a cab once she stepped out of the house. Public transport was chocked full of people at that time and it was next to impossible to squeeze in them. Even the taxis were all booked and she had no choice but to take an unlicensed vehicle since she was afraid to keep Qi Chengzhi waiting.

It was half past eight by the time she reached the apartment building’s entrance. The sky was pitch black and tiny fragments of snow were falling.

The sky was pitch black by the time she reached the apartment building’s entrance; tiny fragments of snow were falling too.

Song Yu rubbed her cold, reddened hands and entered the building.

It was an old building and there were no elevators, so she took the stairs two at a time. Upon reaching the fourth floor, she looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi leaning on her house door. He was scrolling through his phone and she had no idea what he was looking at.

Qi Changzhi turned his head and looked on quietly while she was halfway up the flight of stairs – he must have heard her footsteps.

Song Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Qi Chengzhi stood there silently; his gaze was indifferent and he seemed neither worried nor impatient. The phrase ‘taking things easy makes life smooth sailing’ surfaced inexplicably within her mind.

With her head lowered, she walked up the last few flights of stairs silently and noticed a pile of cigarette butts beside his feet.

“Have you been waiting long, Young Master Cheng?” Song Yu lifted her head but was unable to see his eyes clearly because of his spectacles.

“Mm.” He admitted bluntly without even the slightest greeting.

“…” Song Yu glanced at him one more time but was still unable to discern whether he was angry. She spoke no further and unlocked her front door.

As Song Yu walked forward to the door, Qi Chengzhi simply stood where he was; he did not give way. His tall posture stood inclined to one side and took up almost half the width of the doorway. That caused her shoulder to brush against his chest. Song Yu trembled slightly when she felt the heat and her gait became stiff.

She felt as though Qi Chengzhi was following closely behind her. Her back could almost feel the warmth emanating from his body. His eyes looked directly at the back of her head causing the back of her head to feel blisteringly sore.

As the door closed behind them, Qi Chengzhi scrutinized her tiny home.

It was an apartment home, whereby the living room also served as a dining room and the coffee table was placed beside the dining table. The addition of a sofa made the place seem even more cramped.

It went without saying that when Song Yu was alone, she moved about freely in the small space and she never felt smothered even after a long time living in this house. However, Qi Chengzhi’s presence made the ceiling seem extremely low, his head could easily touch the ceiling. The view itself was suffocating and Song Yu had difficulty breathing.

She distanced herself awkwardly from Qi Chengzhi. He noticed it but did not bat an eyelid.

“Have you eaten?” Qi Chengzhi sat down on the sofa. His bent his legs and had a somewhat sullen disposition.

“I was just about to when you called, Young Master Cheng,” Song Yu replied straightforwardly and her tone seemed to have a touch of dissatisfaction.

Qi Chengzhi smiled. “I haven’t either, and I’m feeling peckish.”

‘In that case, why did you not eat before coming?’ Song Yu was speechless.

She turned her head and looked out the window. She gazed at the sky and the gracefully falling snow. “Do you want to get something?”

“I don’t feel like it.” Qi Chengzhi leaned back on the sofa with his relaxed attitude.

“I’ll go out and buy something then.”

Just as she was about to leave the house, Qi Chengzhi said, “It’s dark and cold. It’ll be too dangerous for a lady like you to go out alone.”

‘If you were truly worried, how about you go by yourself?’

“I’ll order takeout.” Song Yu scrolled through her phone to search for the number of the nearest takeout.

“I’ll order takeout.” Song Yu scrolled through her phone to search for the number of the nearest takeout.

“I don’t fancy takeout from regular restaurants.” Qi Chengzhi twitched his lips in disdain, as though food from those places would insult his stomach.

“How about something from Dynasty 1  then?” Song Yu tried suggesting but in her mind, she was silently criticizing him for being such a fussy man.

Qi Chengzhi looked at her and said, “Dynasty is so far away from here. I’ll die from hunger by the time food arrives.”

“…” ‘Is it even possible for you to have a meal normally, Young Master Cheng?’

“Why don’t you cook me something? Any light, homely dish will do.” Qi Chengzhi took off his glasses. Warm indoor winds had caused his lens to turn foggy.

He might as well not put them on again, so he simply placed it somewhere on the coffee table.

“I’m sorry, I don’t eat at home often since I work overtime on most days. I don’t have any ingredients to cook with at home because they’ll turn if I stored them too long.” Song Yu felt somewhat embarrassed. “I do have instant noodles, I can cook it if you want.”

“…”

Qi Chengzhi looked up cynically at her without lifting his head, making her feel as though she had committed some heinous blunder.

He got up and responded bluntly, “Let’s go.”

“We’re going out to eat?” Song Yu followed him and asked.

“To buy groceries.” Qi Chengzhi was already heading to the door.

“I thought you didn’t feel like budging. Wouldn’t it be easier to find a restaurant than to buy groceries and cook?” Song Yu blurted without giving it much thought.

Without a sign, Qi Chengzhi stopped abruptly. Song Yu nearly ran into him. Although she managed to halt her steps in time, at that instant, both of them were in very close proximity to each other.

She lifted her head up and saw his unhappy expression. His eyes simply squinted at her without saying a word.

Not many were able to bear it when Qi Chengzhi displayed such a look; many felt rather apprehensive.

“Hehe, Young Master Cheng, you want to go get groceries, yes?” Song Yu curried his favor with a smile.

Qi Chengzhi sneered and turned around, leaving her with a cold figure of his back.

Both of them got in the car and went to the nearest supermarket. A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground but driving was not hampered.

Song Yu thought of a question. “Young Master Cheng, how did you know my address?”

“You were my younger brother’s fiancée and someone whom I may potentially cooperate with in the future, but whatever the role may be, I have to find out more about you. I got your address simply by asking your company,” Qi Chengzhi replied insipidly as he parked his car at the carpark.

Ruan Danchen was the only one in the company that knew her address. Song Yu made a mental note. She would have a word with her so that in the future, Ruan Danchen would not simply share Song Yu’s personal information to anyone else.

Surprisingly, Qi Chengzhi insisted on buying vegetables in the supermarket despite not knowing what most of those vegetables were. He would point at one and go, “What’s this,” then at another and ask, “What’s this?”

It made Song Yu feel as though she was conducting a field trip.

After choosing those that he wanted to eat and paying for them, Qi Chengzhi turned back and went in again. Before entering the supermarket, he said to her, “I just remembered there’s something I need to buy. Wait for me outside.”

– – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – –

Anonymous 2 : Young Master Cheng, tell me the truth. It was because of Song Yu’s call that you purposefully asked her to come back, right?

Boss Qi: …

Anonymous: Do you know how much Song Yu dislikes you?

Boss Qi: …

Anonymous: You went in again. What are you buying exactly?

Boss Qi: Scram.

Anonymous: …

Stay tuned for the next chapter to know what Young Master Cheng bought.

After choosing what he wanted to eat and paying for them, Qi Chengzhi turned back and went in again. Before heading back in, he said to her, “I just remembered there’s something I need to buy. Wait for me outside.”

All Song Yu could do was wait for him outside the checkout counter. She then saw Qi Chengzhi carrying a small box of God-knows-what while making payment.

As she looked and looked at him, she felt that there was something odd about his facial appearance. She could not pinpoint what made her feel that way, so she kept staring absent-mindedly at him.

“Are you staring at me like an idiot because you finally noticed that I look good?” At some point in time, Qi Chengzhi was already in front of her. His hand held the plastic bag but its contents could not be seen.

“You’re not wearing glasses!” Song Yu eventually noticed the thing that made her perplexed.

“I left it on your coffee table. I forgot to wear them,” Qi Chengzhi replied.

Song Yu then felt lightness in her hands; he had taken the vegetables from her.

“You can drive without any issues?” Accidents could happen easily in the dark of night.

“There’s nothing wrong with my eyesight.” He glanced at her. “They’re non-prescription glasses.”

“Why do you wear them, then?” Song Yu looked up and noticed that his eyes were rather attractive without the shield of the spectacles. They were as enigmatic as a Westerner, and his imposing manner was even more obvious than before.

“Wearing glasses makes me appear more easily dealt with.” The refined image exuded by those glasses deceived plenty of people in the business world, but after those people were put at a disadvantage by him, few idiots would fall for the same trick again.

“Is it nice to deceive others and yourself like this, Young Master Cheng?”

“…”

…

…

Song Yu immediately tidied things up once the both of them got home. It did not take much time to whip up two or three simple dishes.

Qi Chengzhi waited alone, so in the meantime, he entered Song Yu’s bedroom.

It was a simple bedroom—there was a bed, a dressing table, and a work desk. On top of the work desk was a notebook and some documents. Evidently, her bedroom also functioned as a study room for her work.

There was a piece of drawing paper beside the notebook. On it was the drawing of a building and its layout – it corresponded with the concept that was brought forward when she presented her proposed design to him.

However, the design diagram was a mere sketch.

“Young Master Cheng, dinner’s ready.” Song Yu stood at the doorway and felt rather uneasy when she saw him standing in the personal space that was her bedroom.

He seemed to occupy almost the whole bedroom despite being by himself. It was as though he could see through all of her with his sudden intrusion into her most personal space.

“Is this the design for the leisure hotel?” Qi Chengzhi held up the drawing paper and asked.

Song Yu nodded.

He placed the paper down and walked out, but Song Yu still felt his energy lingering around in the room. The place where he stood felt different than it was before.

“Why did you design it now? Wouldn’t your drawing be in vain if your company wasn’t chosen eventually?” He sat down and looked at the food before him.

“Why did you design it now? Wouldn’t your drawing be in vain if your company wasn’t chosen eventually?” He sat down and looked at the food before him.

In total, there were three simple and homely dishes.

He took some food with his chopsticks and listened to what Song Yu had to say. “For me, this is an opportunity. Even if I wasn’t chosen, it’s still a good thing for me to take this chance and practice. After the visual rendering has been publicly announced by your team, I’d be able to see the difference between myself and the architect that received your approval.”

“You still take things that seriously.” A hint of amusement seemed to manifest in Qi Chengzhi’s voice, but when Song Yu glanced at him, his expression was as plain and unemotive as before. She figured she might have heard him wrongly.

“I didn’t expect your cooking to be this good.” His took seconds and thirds with his chopsticks. The dishes seemed to suit his taste, and soon enough, the plates were empty.

“I ought to be able to cook well after all these years.” She smiled.

Noticing that Qi Chengzhi was looking at her with an intense yet incomprehensible expression, she felt flustered for a moment.

“I’ll clear the table.” Song Yu smiled, got up, and lowered her head without giving him another glance. She concentrated on clearing the table.

After Song Yu entered the kitchen, Qi Chengzhi poured himself a glass of water and went into her bedroom.

He looked at himself in the dressing table mirror and undid three of his shirt buttons. In doing so his buff chest was faintly revealed. There was a distinctness to the textures and contours of his strength-filled chest.

He then undid his cufflinks and rolled his sleeves to just below his elbows; doing so revealed his strong and well-built arms. As a whole, his steadiness and reserved demeanor turned to carefreeness and uninhibition.

Whoever said that men were not charming when they dressed up like that?

He smiled contentedly while looking at the mirror; he even felt that he looked incredibly handsome at the time.

Satisfied, he picked up the design drawing and sat on the bed.

After she had finished doing the dishes, Song Yu found no sign of Qi Chengzhi in the living room. She walked to the entrance of her bedroom and once again found him inside.

The scene she saw, however, was that of him sitting on her bed as he pleased. He crossed one leg over the other on the bed while his back was pressed against her pillow.

Surely, he was going a bit overboard in making himself at home?

He looked especially laid back with his collar opened wide and his sleeves rolled up. The absence of his spectacles meant that his face was not obscured—it made him look even more attractive.

Although her bed was a queen-sized one, its dimensions were not to the official standard and so could not be considered big. Qi Chengzhi seemed to occupy almost the whole bed when he was on top of it.

He was a thirty-four-year-old man, but he had the kind of maturity that someone of Jian Yi’s age could not possibly possess.

Song Yu’s heartbeat quickened when she saw his comportment at the time.

Whoever said that men were not charming when they were focused on work?

She wondered if she would ever be able to have a good night’s sleep on that bed again. She feared that the exact scene—of Qi Chengzhi lying on her bed that night—would pop up in her mind once she laid down on it.

She wondered if she would ever be able to have a good night’s sleep on that bed again. She feared that the exact scene—of Qi Chengzhi lying on her bed that night—would pop up in her mind once she laid down on it.

Song Yu could feel her face burning. She dropped her gaze quickly.

Qi Chengzhi seemed to be fully absorbed in her draft. He was not aware of her presence.

To make her presence felt, she had no choice but to break the silence first and said, “Young Master Cheng, do you have any other questions on the design proposal?”

Qi Chengzhi looked up, reacting to her voice. For a brief moment, he looked dazed. The look faded away as Song Yu’s question interrupted the flow he was in while studying the design proposal.

“Oh. I’m not aware that you have your draft here. Let’s base our discussions on this. It’d be easier,” replied Qi Chengzhi. He continued to study the draft before him.

Song Yu was not sure whether it was a blunder. She went straight to the point, “Uhm, Young Master Cheng, are you coming down? We can continue our discussion here.”

Qi Chengzhi looked up, with a slightly stunned expression, and said, “Why don’t you come over here?”

Song Yu looked back and forth at him and at the bed. She blushed. Deep inside, she was sulking.

It seemed like he did not mean any harm. If not for his surprised look and serious tone, she would have thought he was taking liberty with her.

Judging from Song Yu’s expression, Qi Chengzhi, at last, acknowledged how the statement sounded inappropriate. He smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry. I was too absorbed in this and said something inappropriate.”

Qi Chengzhi took off from the bed, carrying the design with him. He sat down at the computer desk. Song Yu carried a chair and sat next to him.

The computer desk was not big, and since both of them were staring at the same piece of paper, they were in close proximity.

“I feel that, given it’s a landmark building by a Chinese designer, there’s nothing we’re more familiar with than the ancient Chinese buildings. If we were to pursue a contemporary design blindly, it may end up being neither fish nor fowl. However, given a classic one like Dynasty’s is already in the city, I’ve referred to the Star Palace 1  from Chinese mythologies and the Babel from the Bible for Qilin’s hotel.”

Song Yu halted unnaturally. Qi Chengzhi was indeed getting too close.

His chest brushed her shoulder and arm as he leaned forward to get a clearer view of the paper. Similarly, as his head leaned closer, she could feel his breath on her ears. The warmth had blurred her consciousness. She was not sure what words she was uttering.

Song Yu could feel her mouth getting dry. She licked her dry lips. She took a sip of water that was conveniently by her side.

Qi Chengzhi stared at her intently from the side. He did not hide his desire, and it made Song Yu feel nervous and awkward. She wanted to ignore it, but his gaze was too intense, and the two were too close.

For the lack of a better option, Song Yu turned around to ask what the matter was with him.

Unexpectedly, it was not the intense stare that she had expected—Qi Chengzhi looked embarrassed.

He pointed at the cup Song Yu was holding. Embarrassed, he said, “That’s my cup.”

He pointed at the cup Song Yu was holding and said embarrassedly, “That’s my cup.”

‘Thud!’

Song Yu placed the cup hard on the desk. Some water splashed out.

“I will go and get another cup of water.” She stood up and walked out of the room stiffly.

Qi Chengzhi’s gaze followed her out, and he noted the nape of her neck blushing.

He grinned. He took the cup and drank a sip of water at the same place where her lips left a light stain.

When Song Yu returned, the two carried on with the discussion. Qi Chengzhi looked at his watch, “It’s already 12.30am. Apologies, I wasn’t paying attention to the time and dragged the discussion too long.”

“No worries. This is a big case. Young Master Cheng, as long as you’re satisfied, that’s what matters. This is just a draft and there will be several revisions after this. Young Master Cheng, what do you think about the design?” Song Yu probed. She wanted to know her chances.

“Not bad.” Qi Chengzhi nodded without implying anything. He bent his head to look out the window.

“Eh? When did it start snowing so heavily?” Qi Chengzhi spoke as he walked to the window.

Song Yu followed suit. Unexpectedly, the snow flurry had turned into a snowstorm. The winter night wind was violent, and it was worsening.

Looking across the horizon, it was all covered in silvery white snow. The snow seemed to light up the night.

The snow covering had reached the level of half a tire.

“The snow covering is too thick for a smooth ride.” While Qi Chengzhi seemed to just be mumbling to himself, his eyes were fixed on Song Yu. The implication was obvious.

“…”

Song Yu’s lips trembled a little. She was not sure what to say.

“Accident tends to happen during midnight, particularly during a heavy snowstorm.” He withdrew his eyes from Song Yu and mumbled to himself by the window.

“…” Song Yu could not stand his grumbling. She probed, “Young Master Cheng, how about you stay overnight?”

Qi Chengzhi turned his head slowly. He nodded, taking the statement seriously, “Since you asked, I will stay overnight.”

“…”

It was just a superficial remark. She did not mean what she said.

“I will go and take a shower.” Qi Chengzhi began to step outside. He looked back at the door and asked, “Do you have clothes I can wear?”

“No,” Song Yu answered honestly.

Qi Chengzhi said nothing and continued walking. He thought to himself, ‘Good. It means no man stays here.’

Qi Chengzhi brought a shopping bag into the bathroom when Song Yu was not paying attention. He’d stopped by the supermarket before this.

A pair of briefs was inside the bag.

While Qi Chengzhi was showering, Song Yu placed pillows and a fresh blanket on the sofa in the living room.

Next, she brought in a spare toothbrush.

She kept a few spare toiletries at home in case they ran out—she was usually so busy with work that she had no time to purchase them.

She kept a few spare toiletries at home in case they ran out—she was usually so busy with work that she had no time to purchase them.

When Qi Chengzhi got out of the shower, still wearing a shirt and long pants, Song Yu let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he did not use ‘not having any clothes to wear’ as an excuse to come out naked.

His hair was not completely dry—she could tell from its slight dampness. It was obvious he did not have the patience to dry his hair completely. It was a low-effort blow-dry work.

Qi Chengzhi saw the pillows and blanket on the sofa as he got out. Calmly, he asked, “Are you not showering?”

Truth be told, she was fidgety by the sudden appearance of a man in her home. She was trying to tread carefully and showering was not a matter to be treated lightly.

Qi Chengzhi’s attitude toward her went way back. He treated her in a neutral manner. Sometimes the way he looked at her would make her feel a chill down her spine.

Considering the fact that Qi Chengzhi was the least likely person to do anything to her, she carried her pajamas into the bathroom.

Song Yu showered quickly. It felt uneasy to have a man at home.

She blew dry her hair after showering to prevent any wet-look temptation.

When she got out of the shower, she was shocked that nobody was on the sofa.

Without any apparent reason, she had an intuition that she knew where he was. She walked toward her bedroom.

Song Yu almost fainted the moment she walked in.

Qi Chengzhi had already taken off his clothes and was in her blanket, on her bed.

He put both his hands under his head and bent to look at the rapid snow fall outside the window.

His shoulder and arms dangling out from the blanket were not covered. She assumed that underneath the blanket he was wearing nothing.

“You’re done?” Qi Chengzhi withdrew his gaze from the window and turned to look at her. “I tried lying on the sofa just now, but it seems like a three-seater sofa is too short for me. Half of my legs were dangling and it was really uncomfortable. You’re shorter than me. I suppose you’d fit better on the sofa.”

He smiled at her when he was done talking. This smile seemed to suggest that he was fawning over her.

Song Yu felt certain that she misunderstood the message.

Given the statement and the fact that he was a big client that she had to carefully nurture, she decided it was not a worthy pursuit to fight over the bed.

She pulled out a forceful smile and said, “It was my intention to sleep on the sofa anyway. I didn’t make it clear to you just now, Young Master Cheng.”

“…”

Qi Chengzhi’s mocking gaze revealed that he clearly did not believe it.

Song Yu said, “I will go to bed now. Goodnight.”

Qi Chengzhi did not say a word. He shut his eyes immediately.

Song Yu closed the door and went to the sofa.

The blanket had been in the storage for a while and smelled like mothballs. In addition to the unfamiliar smell, the image of Qi Chengzhi being naked in her bed was stuck in her mind. It was too intimate a scene.

The blanket was something that came in close contact with her on a daily basis. However, as of then, nothing was separating it from Qi Chengzhi’s body. All of a sudden, Song Yu’s entire body felt uneasy. Unable to fall asleep, she tossed and turned on the sofa.

The blanket was something that came into close contact with her on a daily basis. However, as of then, nothing was separating it from Qi Chengzhi’s body. All of a sudden, Song Yu’s entire body felt uneasy. Unable to fall asleep, she tossed and turned on the sofa.

Back in the bedroom, Qi Chengzhi’s situation was far worse than Song Yu’s.

He had just seen her standing at the bedroom doorway, dressed only in a nightgown. Coupled with the scent of body lotion emanating from her body, he inadvertently got hard.

The memory of seeing her dressed that way surged uncontrollably from the depths of his mind, causing the heat in his body to slowly rise.

He took a deep breath in an attempt to suppress it, but once again, it was her aroma that entered his nose.

It surrounded him completely; after all, he was wrapped in her blanket and sleeping on her bed.

Qi Chengzhi felt as though he dug his own grave. He brought upon the suffering on himself and his restlessness could no longer be quelled.

He switched to lying on his belly and buried his face in Song Yu’s pillow. He sniffed it and discovered that the scent of her hair was still present.

Then, he paused momentarily. He thought of something and curled his lips upward. He proceeded to rub the back of his head all over the pillow and was satisfied only after he could smell his own scent on it.

He did not stop there, though. Next, he was rolling from one side of the bed to the other.

Despite having taken a shower, his natural male pheromones were not completely eliminated. At that point, the bedsheets had been rubbed all over by him and the faint smell of his pheromones could actually be picked up by the nose.

He finally stopped after rolling around on the bed for quite some time.

Another idea then sprang to his mind. He reached under the covers for moment, grabbed his underwear, and tossed it out.

After that, he wrapped all four limbs around the blanket and sandwiched it tightly; another round of rubbing was underway.

Once he could smell the amalgamation of both their scents on the bedsheet, pillow, and blanket, Qi Chengzhi finally closed his eyes in satisfaction.

…

…

Song Yu slept particularly comfortably. She vaguely felt as though she was sleeping on her familiar bed—where the mattress was soft, the sheets were clean, and there was no smell of mothballs—instead of the sullen sofa.

She felt something wrapping around her, and all of a sudden, she felt an oncoming pressure on her body. It was not really heavy, but the feeling was akin to being trapped firmly by a thick wall.

In her dreamy and unconscious state, she stretched out her hand and tried pushing, but her soft hands came into contact with satiny, silk-like skin.

Something soft was coming into contact with her lips. Their wetness, warmth, and tingling silkiness made her feel as though an electrical current was flowing through her lips.

“Mmgh…” she mumbled in her sleep. She had no idea what kind of dream she was having, but the tender feelings cause her to utter subconsciously, “Jian Yi…”

As her lips parted, a gush of velvety warmth entered her mouth, bringing with it a vigorous enthusiasm that was far from the gentleness of before. On the contrary, it was intense, and it filled her mouth completely.

As her lips parted, a gush of velvety warmth entered her mouth, bringing with it a vigorous enthusiasm that was far from the gentleness of before. On the contrary, it was intense, and it filled her mouth completely.

“Unggh…” Song Yu knit her brows. She felt sore and finally realized that something was not right. She opened her eyes, and upon seeing the person on top of her, her heart was sent into a frenzy.

Qi Chengzhi!

He was fully naked and on top of her. Her shoulders were held down and both of their bodies were intimately rubbing against each other, leaving her rattled and confused.

Song Yu’s eyes opened wide in bewilderment. With a strength that came from nowhere, she forcefully kicked him off the bed.

Along with an audible thud, Qi Chengzhi sat up in a daze and grumbled, “Aili, what are you doing?”

She frantically got off the bed and was so incensed that she could barely stand firm.

It was a bad enough start to the morning when out of the blue, he carried her to the bed just to take advantage of her. Worse still was that he mistook her for another woman!

Song Yu was so angry that her entire body was trembling. Accompanying that anger was a feeling that she had been wronged, and tears began swirling around her eye sockets.

“Young Master Cheng, I allowed you to stay because I trusted you. Let me tell you this, I’m not someone who will betray herself just for the sake of business!” Her face was red from indignation, while her voice faltered because her anger and hurt had reached their peak.

She could care less whether Aili was a real person or simply a ruse.

Qi Chengzhi’s expression abruptly turned cold. His unsightly sternness led Song Yu to feel scared, and her heart felt like it had dropped.

It was she who suffered the wrong, but why was she so afraid?

“I, Qi Chengzhi, am not a person who would use business to take advantage of women! If I did, I would’ve had plenty of women at my side by now!” His unfeeling voice brought with it a hint of anger, and it was the first time he spoke to Song Yu in that manner.

“I was obviously on the sofa. I couldn’t possibly have crawled up the bed on my own,” Song Yu asked, and her expression remained unchanging.

“I woke up in the middle of the night to get some water. You didn’t look at peace when you curled up on the sofa, so I carried you here. It’s a queen-sized bed anyway, and it’s not like I was going to do anything to you.” Qi Chengzhi kneaded the outer corner of his eyes and was feeling rather embarrassed too. “I didn’t expect to be dazed and half-conscious. When I felt that someone was beside me, I just…”

Song Yu looked over to the table and sure enough, there was a half-empty glass of water.

“Regarding this, I apologize. But I hope that you’ll apologize to me too since you insinuated that I used business to take advantage of you,” Qi Chengzhi replied categorically. His words were filled with righteousness that was both imposing and insistent.

All Song Yu could feel was an inability to even mention those words. Why did she have to apologize when it was she herself who received a pinning down and a kiss that was wholly uncalled-for?

Irrespective of anything, she found herself unable to utter those words of apology.

Seeing as she was lowering her head and keeping silent, Qi Chengzhi sneered. He picked up his shirt and trousers from the back of the chair and went out of the bedroom.

As she looked at him from behind, Song Yu had a sudden realization – all that time she was talking to him, he was stark naked save for a pair of underwear!

Once she calmed herself down, she decided to apologize to him. She had to suck it up for fear that the misunderstanding might lead to her being struck off from the name-list of competitors.

Once she calmed herself down, she decided to apologize to him. She had to suck it up for fear that the misunderstanding might lead to her being struck off from the name-list of competitors.

Right when she was about to go out, she heard the sound of a closing door.

To her surprise, Qi Chengzhi was no longer there once she went out.

When she leaned on the window, she saw Qi Chengzhi leaving the building and entering the car. Song Yu sighed and got herself ready for work.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi closed the car door roughly. He lit a cigarette and took a deep, spiteful breath. Then he tossed it resentfully on the snow-covered ground.

When he heard her utter the name ‘Jian Yi’, he felt a disgustingness that was akin to swallowing a fly.

The original plan was to hug her, but after hugging her, he felt like kissing her, thinking that a gentle kiss might not be enough to wake her up. He never expected her to call out that disgusting name, so in a moment of anger, he began using force.

Qi Chengzhi took a deep, intense breath and drove off with a sour face.

A similar expression was plastered on Song Yu’s face when she arrived at the company, prompting Ruan Danchen to ask, “What’s going on? Did someone annoy you?”

“Nothing. I bumped into a rabid dog on the way here. It was scary.”

“Achoo!” Qi Chengzhi sneezed from within his office.

…

…

Throughout the day, Song Yu felt apprehensive and uneasy. The incident with Qi Chengzhi that morning was an unpleasant one, and she wondered if there was still any hope for her business.

The thought of giving him a call and apologizing surfaced a few times in her mind, but she could not bring herself to do it.

Eventually, she received a call from him once she got off work.

“Young Master Cheng?” Song Yu picked up the call nervously.

“I left my glasses at your home. I’ll come by tonight and get them,” Qi Chengzhi spoke from the other end.

She did not envisage that the call would be about the spectacles. After what happened that morning, she was wary of simply inviting him over, so she replied, “There’s nothing wrong with your eyesight, right?”

“I need to put up a front when dealing with others.” A righteous and self-confident voice transmitted from the other end.

“…”‘No one would believe you even with that front.’

“You do have other glasses, don’t you?” There was no reason to insist on that particular pair.

“It’s my favorite pair.” At that point, she had the feeling that he was being rather unreasonable.

Song Yu thought for some time, but her only reply was, “How about we meet somewhere, I’ll bring them over to you.”

“Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?” Qi Chengzhi said sarcastically.

“…”

“Okay then, send them over to the Red Roof Club. I’ll be there with a few friends.” He no longer insisted on coming to her.

“…” Those friends of his were surely familiar with who she was, and she dreaded to meet them.

“You’re scared to come out and meet people now?” He hit the nail on the head with that question.

“I have no problem meeting anyone. I’ll send them to you,” Song Yu replied.

“I have no problem meeting anyone. I’ll deliver them to you,” Song Yu replied.

She went home, found the glasses on the table, then took a cab to the Red Roof Club.

The Red Roof Club used to be the prince’s residence. It was one of the finest clubs in the whole of B City, possibly even the whole country. Its members consist not only of those who have the money but with requisite social status; anyone who was rich enough to pay its membership fees had the rights to be accepted as a member.

Rows of expensive cars were parked at the entrance when Song Yu arrived. The scene was more or less on par with those viral pictures of expensive cars lining Dubai’s streets.

She called Qi Chengzhi to ascertain the room he was in.

Upon entering the club, she spoke with an attendant and was was then led to the room by the regally-dressed attendant. Before she could go in, the attendant knocked on the door and opened it for her.

Deep down, she was prepared for the possibility that she would meet those who knew her from the past but was taken by surprise.

Aside from Qi Chengzhi, there was Yan Beicheng, Chu Zhaoyang, Wei Zilin, and Qi Chengzhi’s younger male cousin, Qi Chenglin. All of them were members of The Great Eight Families.

Song Yu was not at all acquainted with these people; she only knew their names but was able to match those names to their faces.

During the time she was engaged to Qi Chengji, the two of them were still very young. However, that group of people had long reached adulthood and made a name for themselves in their own respective fields.

Back in the day, she never attended dinner parties. Even if she did, she would not have mingled with people like them.

She was still a kid back then; for them at least.

Upon laying eyes on her, the group stared blankly. It was evident that she looked familiar but they were unable to put their finger on a name in that short moment.

Song Yu smiled bitterly in her heart. It was seven years ago, after all.

Qi Chenglin was the only one to react. “Song Yu? I can’t believe it’s you. The little girl has grown up to be a fine young lady.”

The rest finally had their ‘oh’ moment after Qi Chenglin speak.

Song Yu greeted each one of them and passed the spectacles over to Qi Chengzhi.

The group felt that something was in the air when they saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu’s expressions.

“Young Master Cheng, here are the glasses. I won’t bother you further,” Song Yu said. She then waved at the others and began to leave.

“Song Yu, it is rare to have you here, why don’t you stay and have some fun?” Qi Chenglin pointed to the poker cards he was holding.

Song Yu smiled politely and shook her head. “I don’t know how.”

“Well, just sit around and observe. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you, so treat this as a little chat to reminisce about the old times.” Qi Chenglin seemed adamant for her to stay.

On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi’s expression did not change even a single bit.

“I…” As soon as she opened her mouth, her phone rang. She took it out and saw that it was Jian Yi, so she smiled at Qi Chenglin and said, “Young Master Lin, I’ll have to take this call.”

She rushed out of the room once she finished her sentence.

Qi Chengzhi – who had been silent until then – stood up and also made his way out. Qi Chenglin asked from behind, “Big brother, where are you going?”

Qi Chengzhi – who had been silent until then – stood up and also made his way out. Qi Chenglin asked from behind, “Big brother, where are you going?”

“The toilet,” Qi Chengzhi replied as he left.

“Toilet? Isn’t there a toilet inside here?” Yan Beicheng questioned.

Chu Zhaoyang touched a card and remarked, “I’m guessing he’s going to look for Song Yu! Chenglin, what’s the matter with Chengzhi and Song Yu? They don’t seem to be getting along well!”

“Whoa, could it be that he had fallen for his brother’s ex-fiancée?” A twinkle of interest glimmered in Yan Beicheng’s eyes.

Being no longer able to resist being curious, even Wei Zilin lifted his head and looked at Qi Chenglin.

“I don’t even know the specific details. My big brother’s way of thinking is anyone’s guess.” Qi Chenglin smiled. “There’s one thing that I know, though. Three years ago, when Song Yu joined Chengshi Infrastructures, my big brother voluntarily requested a transfer to become the chairman of Qilin Properties.”

“I never thought that our Young Master Cheng is seeded with infatuation,” Yan Beicheng teased.

Qi Chenglin shot him a glance. “Try saying that in front of my brother.”

“…” Yan Beicheng shut up immediately.

…

…

As Qi Changzhi followed Song Yu out, he saw Song Yu at a corner. Her head was low as she spoke with Jian Yi on the phone and it seemed like she was talking about something personal.

He glanced indifferently at her and began walking toward the other direction.

Right after finishing her call, she bumped into Qi Chengzhi. He had walked toward the other end of the corridor but then decided to walk toward her instead.

“If you don’t wanna stay here anymore, then don’t. I’ll send you home.” Qi Chengzhi looked at her putting her phone away.

“I won’t trouble you, Young Master Cheng. I’ll just take the cab.” Song Yu rejected bluntly.

Qi Chengzhi then scoffed. “A cab, here? I’d like to see you get one.”

It was then that Song Yu remembered how secluded the Red Roof Club was. Everyone was rich, cabs would never pass through that area.

In the end, she still got on Qi Chengzhi’s car.

“Seatbelt,” Qi Chengzhi mumbled expressionlessly.

Song Yu lowered her head and silently warned herself not to make a fool of herself again. Her hands were trembling as she put her seatbelt on.

“Young Master Cheng, about this morning, I apologize,” Song Yu said with her head still lowered.

Qi Chengzhi shot her a glance and she continued, “I hope Young Master Cheng won’t be prejudiced with my design after what happened this morning.”

‘Screech…’ Qi Chengzhi abruptly stopped his car by the roadside. His sudden braking caused Song Yu’s body to be thrown forward and back again.

“Really, Song Yu? First, you insult my integrity, then you insult my work ethic?” He turned his head and looked coldly at her. She was shivering from his frigid stare.

“I’ll tell you once more, I’ll never let my personal life interfere with the decisions I make at work. Even if I slept with you this morning, I wouldn’t give you the business simply because we slept. As for the insults directed at me, I don’t want to hear them coming out from your mouth again.”