On the 20th car
◎“Untold Intimacy”◎
Song Chiyu did not consider it that way.
She changed into a more formal and simple outfit, then pulled Xie Yunjin along and knocked on Zheng Qiu's dormitory door. One by one, the lights in the dormitory building, which had already been turned off, came on again.
Xie Yunjin initially didn't know where he was taking her, and was somewhat smug.
Until she pushed him into Zheng Qiu's room, she said, "Professor Zheng! I know you and Professor Xie are friends! Professor Xie is an outstanding academic leader at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, but even so, he can't come and harass a married woman like me in the middle of the night, can he?"
Zheng Qiugang was woken up.
Completely bewildered, he asked, "What exactly happened?"
"If word gets out that he knocked on my door at this hour, what will people think of me?" Song Chiyu said matter-of-factly.
The colleagues who were woken up all gathered at the door to watch the commotion.
Xie Yunjin didn't refute it, after all, the man inside was someone else's legal husband, and he was indeed in the wrong. He raised his head with a look of resentment and helplessness.
Zheng Qiu and Xie Yunjin are colleagues, not superiors and subordinates, so it's not appropriate for them to say anything. However, this matter does have a negative impact on Song Chiyu. If her husband argues with her about this, then she, as the team leader, also bears some responsibility.
After all, Xie Yunjin was able to stay here because of him.
Zheng Qiu said earnestly, "Teacher Xie, whatever happened between you and Xiaoyu before, she's married now."
"I know." Xie Yunjin was also annoyed when this was mentioned, and her tone was somewhat unfriendly.
"If you know that, you shouldn't be knocking on other people's doors late at night."
Xie Yunjin remained silent.
Zheng Qiu said, "Apologize to them and promise not to do it again."
"I'm sorry." He only apologized and didn't make any promises.
"Is it just an apology?" Song Chiyu asked.
Xie Yunjin looked at Zheng Qiu: "Teacher Zheng, could you please step out for a moment?"
Zheng Qiu looked around her room and was stunned for a moment.
"Is there anything Teacher Zheng can't listen to?" Song Chiyu stopped Zheng Qiu.
Xie Yunjin glanced at the heads of onlookers behind her: "Then I'll be blunt. You got married to spite me, and what you did today was also to spite me. And you did indeed spite me. I care about you more than I thought. You think I'm harassing you, but I feel that I've already given up my respect and dignity for you. I don't care what others think of me, I just want you to turn around and look at me one more time."
"Wow—" came the exclamations of others outside, as if he had done something very cool.
Zheng Qiu couldn't let this bad trend spread, so she pulled Xie Yunjin aside and said, "She has a husband, why should you give up your dignity—"
"It's fake," Xie Yunjin interrupted decisively.
"Huh?" Zheng Qiu was startled.
Xie Yunjin wasn't stupid. He could tell something was wrong with the two of them just by looking at Qi Yanzhou. If they were really a normal married couple, why would they open the door just because he knocked? Shouldn't they be pointing at him and yelling at him to get out? It was obvious that they themselves were also uncomfortable in that space where they were alone.
More importantly, even when Song Chiyu complained to Zheng Qiu, she didn't mention a word about Qi Yanzhou's presence. In all the time he'd been there, he'd never heard anyone discuss her relationship with Qi Yanzhou. This only meant that their marriage was truly something they couldn't keep secret.
He only saw that person once in Minnesota.
It's hard to say that this wasn't also done for him.
Song Chiyu laughed angrily: "What dignity have you abandoned? To avoid being labeled as someone who harassed a married woman, you spread rumors that my marriage was fake. You're just finding a legitimate excuse for your despicable behavior. Your so-called deep affection has been trampling on my dignity all along."
Only today did she truly see him for who he was.
He finally understood that when she broke up with him, her words, "Why couldn't you have been more patient with me?" were not accidental, but rather a reflection of the fact that he had always been a complete egoist.
She misjudged people.
Song Chiyu didn't become hysterical, only felt relieved after extreme disappointment: "Thank you for proving to me once again how right it was for me to break up with you back then."
She didn't expect Zheng Qiu to give her justice.
But she couldn't let others make up stories about her.
She walked to the door.
The people gathered at the door unanimously made way for her, but she didn't move forward. With her back to Xie Yunjin, she said, "You said this afternoon that no one could guarantee I wouldn't get divorced in the future. I assure you here that he and I won't divorce. I don't have that deep a feeling for him, but our marriage certificate is real, and it's also true that he can put himself in my shoes and think from my perspective. Unlike you, who always tries to make people come back, but all you do is hurt others."
She heard everything Qi Yanzhou said to her outside the door when he left.
If he weren't standing in her shoes, why would he have to compromise so much, and why would he have only offered a few perfunctory words in the face of Xie Yunjin's blatant provocation?
Song Chiyu understood.
She could simply quit this job. If this place doesn't want her, there are plenty of other places that will.
The people around her just wanted to watch the drama unfold; no one really put themselves in her shoes. Seeing how things had developed, they all awkwardly turned away, wishing they had never been there at all.
Song Chiyu breathed a sigh of relief.
He walked out without looking back.
**
Song Chiyu is a nobody here. Despite the incident last night, a bunch of people are still surrounding Xie Yunjin today, praising and admiring him without mentioning what happened yesterday.
They sat around Xie Yunjin eating, and when Song Chiyu came in, they only gave her a perfunctory smile before ignoring her. Xie Yunjin also only glanced at her indifferently, as if to make her realize her mistake, and remained indifferent to her situation.
Song Chiyu walked to a dining table and sat down alone.
It felt like I was back in my last few weeks in Minnesota.
Just then, the little girl who lived next door came over. The aunt usually didn't talk much and was almost invisible, but today she sat down, put down her lunchbox, and then handed her a piece of candy.
Song Chiyu was puzzled.
The little girl kept her head down and spoke very softly, but her words were firm and resolute: "Although I don't know the whole story of what happened yesterday, I think you're right. There are some things I also know, but I will never say them. Don't worry. Keep going."
Song Chiyu guessed that she might have heard it too, but she hadn't told anyone.
He held the candy she gave him tightly.
"Thanks."
The boy wearing glasses also came over.
He proactively shared the food he had bought with them, saying, "Teacher Song, Teacher Su, try this."
To befriend her at a time like this is tantamount to putting yourself in opposition to Xie Yunjin, and who is Xie Yunjin? Someone who could very well ruin your career with the slightest misstep.
"You..." Song Chiyu hesitated, "Aren't you afraid?"
"What are you afraid of?" the boy with glasses asked.
Seeing that he himself didn't care, Song Chiyu didn't say anything more. After the girl left, the boy with glasses glanced around furtively and said, "I know that Master Qi is your husband."
Song Chiyu choked a little.
She quickly wiped her mouth with a tissue: "How did you know that?"
"ring."
Ever since they pointed out the truth about Song Chiyu's ring, he paid special attention when Qi Yanzhou came, and it turned out to be the same style.
"And then?" Song Chiyu asked.
"Could you introduce me to your husband?"
Song Chiyu was startled.
She thought his repeated hesitation when mentioning "Southern Qin and Northern Qi" was because he wanted to distance himself from their line of work, but she didn't expect him to be so interested in it.
"What are you going to do?" Song Chiyu became wary of him instead.
"Why are you so wary of me?" The bespectacled man couldn't understand why she was so nervous. "You don't know what your husband's family does, do you?"
How would she know? She asked so many questions yesterday, but Qi Yanzhou didn't answer a single one. It made her feel like she had no idea even though she was sure.
"You know?" Song Chiyu asked in return.
"The Qi family of Northwest China." The bespectacled boy emphasized each word, "A renowned top collector in the Northwest antique world. Their lineage goes back to his great-grandfather. Do you know what a top collector means? It means they probably have everything that museums don't, and it might even be more beautiful and complete than what we painstakingly dig out of the ground. Many experts, when they first unearth something and don't know what it is, have to consult them. Just imagine how many collections they must have to be so knowledgeable!"
"You know, the Qi family played a big part in cracking a bronze smuggling case a few years ago. Don't be fooled by how people in the underworld call him 'Master Qi'; he's a well-known figure in the government too."
He adjusted his glasses: "I don't know why you came here, Teacher Song, but I want to go back to Anxi. I'd like to ask Master Qi for a favor."
"Do you think he has that ability?" Song Chiyu was very skeptical. Regarding their construction site situation, it was unclear whether the Qi family would accept his position.
"Sis," the bespectacled boy was stunned. Could she really know nothing about her husband? He licked his lips. "Let me tell you this: if you want to get into Anxi Wenbo, it's just a matter of your husband saying one word. He'll guarantee you a meteoric rise in your career."
"Bullshit." Song Chiyu didn't believe it. He might have some influence in their department because of his status as a history professor at Cheng'an University, but it was a bit of an exaggeration to think that he could have a say in the Anxi cultural heritage system because of his position as a person in charge.
Song Chiyu's understanding of Qi Yanzhou as the person in charge was that he was just the president of a non-governmental organization similar to an industry association. To put it bluntly, he might have some influence within the industry, but when it came to the authorities, he still had to be mindful of their attitude. Otherwise, why would Qi Yanzhou give up such a good position as the person in charge and go to Mingzhou to become a teacher?
His brother wouldn't need to go to Beijing to do business.
"No, sis, why don't you have any faith in your husband?" the bespectacled boy said anxiously. "Even if you don't believe me, please help me, sis. I want to go home and find my wife."
"I can mention it to you, but don't get your hopes up." Song Chiyu agreed out of politeness, but she didn't have any expectations. She didn't want to put Qi Yanzhou in a difficult position, not even for her own affairs, let alone trouble him, let alone anyone else.
Wang Xin quickly clasped his hands together and bowed to her.
Xie Yunjin was surprised that someone would dare to speak to her after such a big conflict with her, and couldn't help but glance at Wang Xin. Wang Xin completely disregarded his identity as an archaeology researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, following Song Chiyu around like a puppy, calling her "Sister Song" at every turn.
Yesterday, Song Chiyu was in a fit of anger and felt that resigning didn't matter, but today, after calming down and seeing the mortgage payment that had just been deducted, she realized that making money was the priority. She stopped openly arguing with Xie Yunjin and Zheng Qiu and became increasingly silent.
Old Li noticed that she was in low spirits, so he put down the brocade he was holding and said, "Hey, who upset you?"
Song Chiyu glared at him, half-jokingly saying, "You've offended me."
"Oh dear, why are you holding a grudge, girl? I didn't mean to keep it from you. I don't know why he kept it from you, so I didn't want to interfere."
Song Chiyu had long since stopped caring about it. "Alright, stop teasing your uncle. Is there something wrong?"
"I heard you had a fight with the people at their workstation?"
"You know everything, why are you asking me?"
"Um, I'm just confirming with you, okay? What's wrong? Are they bullying you?"
Song Chiyu didn't know what to say, but just sighed silently.
Old Li's eyes lit up: "Why don't you learn my craft too?"
"You're willing to teach me?" Song Chiyu was surprised. Commercial restoration has high requirements, unstable income, and few successors. But it would be different if you had a master to teach you. However, some masters hide their teaching and don't teach. The apprentice learns for several years and only gets a small living allowance each month. If things go wrong, you might end up working for free.
"Is there something you want me to do for you?" Song Chiyu realized.
"I don't want you to do any work, I'll sincerely teach you."
Why?
"No reason, I just think you like him, he's a good prospect." Old Li was also smart, afraid that she would find out that he was trying to get married into the Qi family, so he quickly changed the subject: "Do you know that Bafangzhai in Anxi? It was opened by my master. After my master died, his son took over, but I didn't want to work for him, so I left."
Song Chiyu knew.
It's considered the largest commercial restoration business for calligraphy and paintings in Northwest China; it turns out he's a master craftsman who came from there. She didn't answer, and Old Li muttered to himself, "It doesn't matter where a person lives; it's just a change of environment and a change of way of life."
“Okay,” Song Chiyu nodded, “Let me think about it.”
**
As night falls and the daytime hustle and bustle fades away, the workstation also falls into tranquility.
Song Chiyu stood in the corridor, gazing at the campfire burning in the work camp, wondering how much longer he would stay there. She took out her phone and sent him a WeChat message: "Are you at the camp? I have something to tell you." "Now?" His messages always came back quickly, as if he always had his phone in his hand.
"kindness"
"Shall I come over?"
"I'm coming over here." She was truly afraid of Xie Yunjin.
"Wait a moment, I'll come pick you up."
"Did you drive here?"
Qi Yanzhou called directly.
"inconvenient?"
Song Chiyu dared not admit it, but he had already figured it out: "Then I'll walk over."
The call ended.
Song Chiyu didn't dare go downstairs any earlier, until she saw his flashlight appear not far from the workstation. Only then did she run downstairs.
She wore a black, modern Chinese-style cheongsam. The satin fabric and fitted waist accentuated her slender figure, and a glimpse of fair skin peeked out from between the modified buttons on the slanted neckline. Her hair, draped over her shoulders, exuded a faint, delicate fragrance.
Perhaps because she was going to see him, she was wearing a pair of high heels that seemed out of place with her surroundings.
Qi Yanzhou looked at her arms and exposed ankles: "Aren't you cold?"
"Can you stop always worrying about whether I'm cold? Or whether I'm pretty?"
“You’re beautiful all the time.” He took off his windbreaker and draped it over her shoulders. “Are these shoes comfortable to wear?”
Song Chiyu ignored him.
She pulled him forward, afraid that Xie Yunjin would suddenly appear out of nowhere again.
As it turned out, those shoes were indeed quite inconvenient for her; she nearly twisted her ankle several times because of small pebbles on the roadside. He didn't understand what she was trying to achieve, but he still extended his arm: "Hold on to me."
Song Chiyu, who had already rejected him three times, silently hugged the arm he offered.
How many more days are you going to stay here?
"Just in the next day or two."
"So fast?" Song Chiyu was surprised.
"What's wrong?" He seemed to have forgotten about yesterday's events and showed no intention of bringing it up again.
"I thought you could stay a few more days."
"You can't bear to part with me?" Qi Yanzhou asked, half-jokingly.
“A little,” Song Chiyu replied politely.
Qi Yanzhou naturally wouldn't take it seriously.
What do you want to say to me?
I want to apologize to you for what happened yesterday.
Qi Yanzhou stopped in his tracks.
"What's there to apologize for?"
"I shouldn't have threatened you with not letting you kiss me." She looked away, somewhat embarrassed.
The wind in the open field gently lifted her skirt, revealing her fair and straight calves. Qi Yanzhou turned his head away and said, "I thought you would be angry with me because of what happened yesterday."
"Why am I angry?" Song Chiyu immediately explained, "You didn't do anything, it's all that other person's fault. It has nothing to do with you."
"I didn't do anything?" Qi Yanzhou took a step closer to her, signaling with his eyes whether she was sure.
Her gaze darted away. Although something did happen yesterday that she didn't want to remember, it was her problem, and had nothing to do with him.
"It was me who rubbed it against you, what's it to you?" she said, her head bowed, barely audible.
"What?" He heard it, but he didn't expect her to say it so bluntly. He lowered his head in disbelief.
Song Chiyu couldn't say it a second time, "I was being presumptuous, it has nothing to do with you."
Qi Yanzhou pondered without speaking.
"Also, if you don't want to answer my questions, then don't. I've thought it through. Whatever your stance, I'll support you as long as you believe it's right. At worst, I'll just quit that job." She licked her lips. "Even if I quit that job, I won't divorce you."
Qi Yanzhou was surprised by her determination today.
"How did you suddenly come to this realization?"
"It's not that I've figured it out, it's that if I had to choose, I'd choose you." After saying what she wanted to say, Song Chiyu let go of his hand: "I'm leaving."
Turning to the side, I realized that his coat was still on me.
Just as she was about to take it off and return it to him, he suddenly grabbed her wrist, lifted her chin, and kissed her lips.
"Since you've chosen me, why are you leaving?" He picked up the coat that had slipped off her shoulder and draped it over her shoulders again.
"Where do you have a place for me to sleep?" Song Chiyu covered her lips, her face burning, and said calmly, "We'll talk about other things when I get back."
Although she said she chose him, it didn't mean she was ready to live with him. Yesterday's events were completely unexpected for her. Even the sudden kiss made her feel embarrassed, so she changed the subject: "By the way, one of the senior craftsmen in our restoration lab wants me to learn commercial restoration from him. Do you think I should learn it?"
"It's up to you." From her unresponsive kiss, Qi Yanzhou knew that her choice of him was not what he thought it meant, and he returned to his usual calm and polite demeanor: "Whatever you like is fine."
"Then I'll think about it myself." Seeing that he didn't object, Song Chiyu turned to leave.
Qi Yanzhou called out to her, "Miss Song, you're not going to take yesterday's events to heart, are you?"
"No!" Song Chiyu dared not admit it.
"Then," he asked indifferently, "do you still want to think about it?"
Song Chiyu's face instantly turned red.
She grabbed his arm and covered his lips: "What nonsense are you talking about—"
Fortunately, there was no one around. If others had heard this, how could she face anyone?
"Yesterday..." Song Chiyu wished she could disappear into a crack just thinking about it. How could she have used his leg to... She closed her eyes in annoyance: "You forgot about it."
“There’s nothing shameful about it.” He turned his head slightly, dodging her fingers. “If you want to continue, I can—”
"No!" She just wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground.
He didn't let her go easily. He pulled her close, placed his hand on her buttocks, and gently pulled her forward slightly: "Are you sure?"
Her flat stomach pressed against his firm abs. That familiar feeling surged up. Her refusal was no longer as firm as before; she didn't answer.
"Hmm?" He looked down at her face.
Song Chiyu avoided his gaze shyly, but did not push away his waist and abdomen that were pressed against hers. She asked almost inaudibly, "Where?"
really.
Qi Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh.
He suppressed the urge to kiss her and asked calmly, "In the car?"
"Why in the car..." She was both embarrassed and anxious, but seeing his calm and composed expression, she felt that being in the car might not be so bad.
"Are you sure?" He didn't say a word, but she had already changed her mind, "You won't let anyone know?"
"kindness."
Song Chiyu followed him forward with some skepticism.
As she approached the campsite, she saw several burly men roasting meat around a fire, and she immediately regretted her decision. She unconsciously stepped back, thinking, "Maybe I should come back another time?"
Qi Yanzhou didn't know why she changed her mind again, but he didn't insist: "Okay, I'll take you back."
Several burly men saw her, put down the roasted meat they were holding, and came over, overjoyed, saying, "Sister-in-law!"
Perhaps sensing her fear, they didn't surround her, but spoke from two or three meters away, "I thought you didn't like Master Qi—"
Before she could finish speaking, the burly man next to her gave her a hard elbow. He really knew how to rub salt in the wound. With a beaming smile, he asked, "Sister-in-law, have you eaten? I'll cook you something."
"We've already eaten." The group was polite and knew their place, so Song Chiyu wasn't too scared: "I'm going to talk to Teacher Qi for a bit."
"Let's talk, let's talk." The group gestured for them to return to the fire.
Qi Yanzhou walked to the jeep next to him: "So, are you going back, or do you want to talk to me some more?"
She was too embarrassed to speak, so she bit her lip and remained silent.
Qi Yanzhou understood.
He opened the back door and said, "We'll talk and then I'll take you home."
**
Song Chiyu took his hand and got into the car.
The car was cleaner than he had expected. "I thought there would be a lot of dog hair and stuff."
“It’s in the back.” He gestured for her to look at the trunk.
"Do they usually lie here?"
"kindness."
The car was more spacious than she had imagined.
The soundproofing was better, perhaps because the men were quite far apart; she could only see their expressions but not hear their voices.
Song Chiyu was somewhat reserved.
This feeling is so strange. There are people chatting ahead of them, and they're about to...
Although Song Chiyu slandered him, she also had a strong moral compass.
He had second thoughts again: "Or else..."
He leaned back in his chair and put his arm around her waist. "Hmm?"
As soon as Song Chiyu leaned against him, her initial hesitation faded, and lust gradually welled up in her heart, so she no longer gave him any advice.
"Do you like sitting on my lap?" His face showed no lust, but every word he uttered made Song Chiyu feel embarrassed.
"It's alright."
Without saying a word, he immediately pulled her onto his lap.
"If you want me to use my hand, it'll be like yesterday..."
Song Chiyu covered his mouth.
I don't know how he could say such lewd things so openly.
Unfortunately, she was also blinded by self-interest, saying, "Anything is fine."
Qi Yanzhou smiled again.
He couldn't help but place his hand on her waist and tilt his head back to kiss her lips.
She didn't know why he was so interested in her lips.
But his kissing skills were indeed much better than yesterday, no longer sounding so stiff and inexperienced. Song Chiyu gradually became a little embarrassed by his kisses, turning her head to rest her head on his chest, breathing softly.
He still didn't use his hands to offend her.
Instead, he held her waist and straddled her on his left leg.
She felt embarrassed, but she didn't hesitate to act.
His knees bent naturally, and without using the car's weight, he caught her entirely on his own, without the car body shaking noticeably.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him without reservation.
He closed his eyes, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and cradled her buttocks with his long, broad palms, trying his best not to offend her.
Her desire wasn't strong. But today's feeling was much stronger than yesterday's, making it hard to stop.
Her slender legs extended over the slit of her cheongsam as she knelt on either side of his thighs. All he could see was her snow-white body, and all he could hear were her uncontrollable groans.
He closed his eyes and gently pinched her buttocks.
He quickly let go of her hand.
Her movements as she pressed down on him noticeably quickened.
A voice, tinged with pleading and a sob, rang in his ears: "Teacher Qi—"
He nearly lost control; his fingers tightened around her buttocks, he took a deep breath, and then slowly released her.
At this moment, she suppressed the flutter in her heart and leaned on his shoulder, breathing softly.
She always starts to regret it at this point.
Why did she use his leg again...?
But I have to admit it feels even better than when I was holding a cushion or pillow, even better than yesterday...
The more she thought about it, the more shy she became, and she couldn't help but squeeze her legs together.
He blinked hard as his eyes were squeezed.
But he quickly calmed down and gently pulled her hair, which was draped over her shoulders, away: "You're pinching me again."
Song Chiyu didn't dare to look at him, so she naturally didn't know what he had been through.
"I'm going back now."
“Okay,” he said, staring intently at her, “I’ll take you.”
But she didn't get up for a long time.
He grasped her thigh, which was dangling beside his leg: "It's gone limp?"
"Mmm." Perhaps it was because the atmosphere was so nice, but she was a little reluctant to get off his lap.
He seemed to sense something, "You can't bear to part with me?"
She bit her lip, but did not deny it.
He still didn't take it seriously, knowing that what she was reluctant to let go of was this feeling, not him. He couldn't help but lift his head and gently kiss her ear.
Suddenly, lights shone from behind, and several SUVs drove up one after another.
[Author's Note]
Hehehe, I got off my early shift today~~~ [Sprinkling flowers] Goodnight everyone~~
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