2. Obtaining the marriage certificate
"I can do it" means I really can.
Whether it was her imagination or not, Song Chiyu felt that he was much more vibrant at this moment than the person who had been so rigid in explaining compensation to her before.
But that doesn't stop Song Chiyu from thinking he's shameless.
"What makes you think you're capable?" Song Chiyu meant to flip the table, not that she actually thought he was capable.
"It depends on what Miss Song thinks of me," he replied politely, rolling up his sleeves.
“I think you’re no good at anything.” Song Chiyu said with integrity.
"Didn't you see me looking quite alluring just now?"
Song Chiyu had never seen him so adept at taking advantage of opportunities.
She glanced at Li Li, who was standing to the side looking bewildered. Since her mother couldn't play the villain, she would.
She suddenly stood up: "You come out here."
He obediently stood up, not forgetting to greet Li Li: "Excuse me, Auntie."
Song Chiyu pushed open the small door of the coffee shop. Accompanied by the bell that rang when he arrived, the two of them stood one after the other in front of a cake shop that was already closed next door.
Rain was dripping from the eaves.
Song Chiyu hated this sticky weather and decided to finish quickly. He turned around with great ambition, only to see the rain slanting in, staining the dim yellow light of the streetlights, and fluttering like silk threads on his half-dry clothes.
He thought she should do this, so as she was about to speak, he raised his hand to shield her cheek from the raindrops that were flying towards her.
When Song Chiyu met those moist, deep eyes that held a hint of inquiry, she felt a moment of dejection.
He's just here to apologize.
What did he do wrong?
Song Chiyu's anger subsided, and she could no longer muster any more strength, remaining indifferent: "What do you mean 'you can do it too'? Do you think it's funny to talk like that? Don't you understand that I'm insulting you?"
"What did you say to me?"
What to say to him—
Of course, they're calling him old.
He seemed oblivious to the unspoken meaning behind her words, and gently smiled, saying, "All I heard was you praising me for still being charming."
Song Chiyu: "..."
Perhaps knowing that his laughter would have a touch of cynicism, he gradually suppressed his smile, and a humble sincerity appeared in his cool and indifferent eyes: "What I mean by 'I can do it' is not that I think I'm funny, but rather, Miss Song, I really can."
"Your nephew ran away, so you're here to go on a blind date with me in his place. Is that how you explain things to both our families?"
“I didn’t originally intend to explain it this way,” he said. He wasn’t that clueless, and he didn’t want her to think that way, so he explained to her in a serious tone, “It should have been my brother and my father who escorted him to personally apologize to Miss Song, but Miss Song thought I could make amends, so I can make amends.”
“You…” Song Chiyu realized that she had been led by the nose ever since that sentence: “Then, every time your nephew goes on a blind date, you have to pay for it?”
"Others don't see me as so charming as I am," he replied politely, but Song Chiyu always felt that he was suppressing a laugh when he said that.
“You,” Song Chiyu took a deep breath, “You’re so glib, it doesn’t seem like you can’t find a partner, it’s more like you’ve let down a lot of good girls.”
His eyelids drooped slightly.
Suddenly, he burst out laughing, for some unknown reason.
"Then Miss Song thinks I'm really capable."
Song Chiyu: "..."
"But the truth is, only you, Miss Song, have ever praised my humor." He suppressed his smile, and his usually cold and indifferent eyes became serious again.
He had a face with very sharp and full bone structure, a high nose bridge, and deep-set eyes, giving people a feeling of ambition and sharpness. However, his slightly full and flat lips weakened this feeling and added a bit of a sense of aloofness.
His usually indifferent and aloof eyes appeared exceptionally sincere at this moment.
Song Chiyu wasn't fooled and got back to the point: "Forget it, I can't explain it to you. I'll just state my needs directly."
"Please speak, Miss Song." He also became serious.
"Have your brother and father bring your nephew to my house so they can apologize to me in front of my whole family."
"nature."
“Compensation,” she paused, “I don’t want it, but in the future, if anything happens that affects my reputation because of this incident, you will have an obligation to come out and clarify things for me and take all the responsibility.”
"certainly."
Having no other words, Song Chiyu lowered her head and tried to walk into the coffee shop, but he happened to be blocking her way. Song Chiyu said irritably, "Is there something else?"
His eyelids were slightly lowered, and his handsome face showed little joy. Compared to his previous glibness, he could be described as aloof at this moment.
But they still knew proper etiquette.
She stepped aside slightly to make way for him, saying, "No, Miss Song, please."
cafes.
The waiter was already turning off the lights and urging Li Li to leave. Li Li looked hesitant, but fortunately Song Chiyu returned at that moment. She picked up her bucket bag from the chair and helped Li Li to her feet.
Li Li's left leg is shorter than her right leg.
Getting up is more difficult for them than for normal people.
The waiter nearby noticed something amiss and subtly moved away.
Song Chiyu took it all in, picked up the pocket Li Li had placed behind her, and laboriously moved the chair behind Li Li. Qi Yanzhou also entered at this moment. He clearly also sensed Li Li's inconvenience, but he did not show a trace of pity, nor did he pretend to be at a loss, nor did he show any of the disdain that he could not hide.
He simply gripped the back of the chair behind Li Li and pulled it outwards a little.
"Auntie, I'll take you and Miss Song home. It's not easy to get a taxi at this time of day and in this weather."
Li Li could tell from Song Chiyu's expression that the two must have parted on bad terms.
He looked at Song Chiyu with some difficulty.
If it were Song Chiyu three years ago, she would definitely not look back and would rather wear 10-centimeter high heels to take the subway home than accept a single bite of his charity.
The current Song Chiyu—
She glanced at the extra umbrella in his hand, then at her own mother, who wasn't that old but still had difficulty moving around.
never mind.
Seeing how sincere he was, Song Chiyu decided to give him the chance.
I walked out of the coffee shop.
The lights behind me went out.
Qi Yanzhou took Li Li, who was supporting Song Chiyu, opened the long-handled umbrella in his hand, and said to Song Chiyu, "Miss Song, I will take Auntie to the car first, and then come to pick you up later."
"Okay." Song Chiyu released his hand.
Song Chiyu stood in front of the dark coffee shop, watching Qi Yanzhou support Li Li's back.
To match Li Li's pace, he didn't walk fast, and he held the umbrella over Li Li's side, with almost half of his body outside. Yet, he remained completely patient and showed no signs of impatience. In fact, he was quite amiable and patient.
Putting the incident aside, he is actually a very polite and good-tempered person.
He helped Li Li into an SUV parked on the side of the road, then turned around to pick up Song Chiyu.
Song Chiyu pressed her velvet high heels firmly against her feet, staring at the potholes on the ground and the continuous rain, silently preparing herself mentally.
Qi Yanzhou glanced at her without making a sound, his gaze sweeping over her black cheongsam wrapped in a light-colored shawl, moving from her waist to her calves, and finally settling on her high heels that were sheltering her from the rain.
He handed her the umbrella.
"Take it."
Song Chiyu accepted it without understanding why.
He placed one hand on his chest and nodded slightly: "Excuse me."
Song Chiyu didn't hear clearly: "What?"
The next second, he bent down and hoisted her onto his shoulder with one hand. He carried her skillfully, his long, broad hand supporting the slit in her skirt to prevent it from drooping and revealing her, while also keeping her dry from the rain. He chose the left side, which was not wet from the rain.
Song Chiyu instinctively shouted, "Let me go."
Then I felt so dizzy that I couldn't speak.
Fortunately, he walked very fast, taking two steps at a time, and put her down in less than five seconds.
Li Li opened the back door, and he steadily placed her on the edge of the back seat. She straightened up, and the umbrella in her hand hooked around his neck, forcing him to lean against the seat next to her legs and get closer to her face.
Her fair face was flushed, whether from anger or from blood stasis, it was hard to tell.
Song Chiyu, catching her breath, released the umbrella from his neck. "When you apologize, don't just say your dad, your brother, or your nephew are here. You come too! Your whole family comes!"
He remained good-natured, saying, "Okay."
He straightened up and walked towards the driver's seat.
Song Chiyu sat up straight, but her hand was blocked by the umbrella in her hand. She said irritably, "What about the umbrella?"
"Throw it in front of you."
Song Chiyu threw the umbrella hard onto the driver's seat and slammed the door shut.
Li Li was so frightened that she didn't dare to breathe.
Qi Yanzhou didn't dare to speak, silently handing over the phone in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Auntie, please enter the address."
Li Li moved very quietly, not daring to make a sound. After typing it out by hand like a thief, she handed it back to him.
Fortunately, Song Chiyu is a reasonable person.
After calming down, she realized that the person wasn't so repulsive after all; at least her shoes and skirt were safe.
Then look at his clothes, which are still half-wet. He clearly had an umbrella in his car, but he didn't bother to take it because he was on his way to apologize to her and Ms. Li, so overall he can be considered sincere.
And his attitude towards Li Li.
Because of the time Li Li was ridiculed by her classmates, Song Chiyu was particularly sensitive to other people's attitudes, and both pity and helplessness born of fear made her uncomfortable. But this man's upbringing was ingrained; he neither despised nor pitied her, but genuinely treated Li Li as an ordinary elder.
She stopped arguing with him.
She only inadvertently caught sight of several clear finger marks on her thigh where her slit was open, and her already pale face flushed an eerie red again, hidden in the night.
**
Song Chiyu and Li Li live in a neighborhood that is neither old nor new.
The rain had almost stopped, but the water on the ground hadn't receded. Qi Yanzhou had parked the car downstairs at the apartment building, helped open the car door, and then helped Song Chiyu and Li Li out of the car.
After they went upstairs, he stood by the car door and watched them go.
He only turned around, got into his car, and prepared to leave when a light came on in the second-floor window.
Song Chiyu suddenly leaned out of the second-floor window: "Qi Yanzhou, wait a moment."
He turned off the engine, got out of the car, and stood outside waiting.
She changed out of her high heels and ran downstairs in a pair of slippers.
Watching her carelessly leap across the puddle, he couldn't help but smile. "What's wrong?"
"You say you can do it, is it really true?"
He lowered his eyelids slightly, pondering the truthfulness of her words, but quickly raised them again: "Hmm."
"Then come with me to the Civil Affairs Bureau near the Municipal Museum tomorrow to get your marriage certificate."
Are you sure?
"You don't want to?"
"I'm afraid you'll change your mind." His deep eyes became focused again, making his pupils appear exceptionally dark.
“I won’t easily go back on my word. Do you really think everyone is like your nephew, a twenty-four or twenty-five-year-old man with no sense of responsibility at all?”
"Okay." He nodded. "See you there."
...
My thoughts returned to the present moment.
Song Chiyu glanced at the time on her wrist: 5:05, less than 25 minutes until she could leave work.
And he waited for her for eight hours.
She licked her lips, approaching him to meet his gaze, her eyes darting around as she searched for the right words. He didn't make any sarcastic or angry remarks; he simply smiled at her, "I thought you weren't coming."
Song Chiyu was still regretting her impulsiveness for the next second, but the gentleness in his eyes soothed her.
Marriage doesn't matter who you marry.
Since she can't marry the person she loves, she should marry a very good person. Even if he doesn't love her that much, his character will surely lead him to treat her well.
She finally stopped regretting it, stopped, gazed at him, and smiled gently: "How could I? There's no reason to go back on what's said. Let's go."
[Author's Note]
Mini-theater:
Qi Yanzhou: I really thought you ran away.
Song Chiyu (almost ran away version): How could this be? How could someone as responsible as me do something so immature?
Qi Zhannan (already escaped): You see, who wouldn't run away from a marriage proposal?
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