30. Sinking
◎“I'd even swallow the bones whole.”◎
His calm demeanor also calmed Song Chiyu down.
They followed the crowd toward the Buddhist hall in front.
After recent renovations, the clay statue enshrined in the center is no longer recognizable. However, the murals in the Buddhist hall look quite old. Yinghong explained from the side, "The murals on the walls were all painted by someone commissioned by my great-grandfather. I heard they were painted by very skilled people, but I don't know the specifics."
"Do you know who the ancestor enshrined in the center is?"
Sakura, of course, had no idea. "It must be something like my great-grandfather's grandfather."
Song Chiyu did not ask any further questions.
"Is there a problem?" Sakura asked, puzzled.
"Do the others know who they are?" Song Chiyu asked tentatively.
Yinghong shook her head: "Only Grandpa knows, right? Uncle Qi only said that these are members of the Qi family, and that everyone should make offerings every year."
"So mysterious." Song Chiyu glanced absentmindedly at Qi Yanzhou, just as Qi Yanzhou turned to look at her. The moment their eyes met, the question in her heart was suddenly answered.
He knew whose clay statue it was.
I also know that these murals are not modern products at all.
But what caused him to fall silent?
Song Chiyu tilted her head in confusion.
He subtly withdrew his gaze.
So Song Chiyu tacitly agreed not to bring it up again.
After the ancestral worship ceremony, Song Chiyu, Qi Zhannan, and Yinghong walked back to the village. Several girls chased after them, "Hey, isn't this our young lady Yinghong? Moving to the city has really changed things; you don't get chilblains on your face and hands anymore. It's a pity your second uncle doesn't approve of you, otherwise you'd really be living a comfortable life..."
Qi Zhannan interrupted with dissatisfaction, saying, "If you want to talk about her, then talk about her. Don't bring up my second uncle."
The girls were clearly a little afraid of Qi Zhannan. Seeing this, they exchanged glances and ran away hand in hand.
Song Chiyu was surprised that he defended Qi Yanzhou so much, and secretly gave him a thumbs up: "As expected of the true pillar of the Qi family, his words really carry weight."
"Oh dear," Qi Zhannan immediately smoothed his hair, "Second Aunt, you're talking about family like this."
"Really, I misunderstood you before. You're too manly."
"oops--"
"What are you saying?" Qi Yanzhou suddenly walked over.
My second aunt said I'm better than you—
Song Chiyu quickly covered Qi Zhannan's mouth, "You're back? I have something I want to ask you."
"Wait a minute," Qi Yanzhou said casually, glancing at her hand that was covering Qi Zhannan's. "I still have some things to take care of."
Song Chiyu had no choice but to give up.
As evening approached and bedtime drew near, Qi Yanzhou leisurely returned. As soon as he entered the room, Song Chiyu immediately closed the door, pulled him to sit on the bedside, and asked, "Whose clay statue is that being worshipped?"
Qi Yanzhou did not answer.
However, she already had the answer in her heart. "That mural wasn't recent either. Tell me quickly what happened? I promise I won't tell anyone."
He lowered his eyelids slightly and sighed helplessly, "This isn't a secret in the underworld, I just don't want the younger generation of the Qi family to know."
Song Chiyu looked on with anticipation.
He licked his lips: "When we get back, I'll show you something, and you'll understand everything."
"What is that?"
"Didn't I already say I was going back?" He took off his coat. "I'm going to take a shower first."
"Hey." Song Chiyu wanted to stop him, but he had already gone inside. She could only wait for him to come out.
He changed into his pajamas, dried his hair, and came out. She couldn't wait to ask, "Those murals are from the Tang Dynasty. If we report them to the local cultural relics bureau, they might be protected as cultural relics."
"Then guess why they're here?" Qi Yanzhou sat down next to her.
"Why?"
“My grandfather said that it was painted by someone commissioned by my great-grandfather, so the earliest it could be traced back to is the Qing Dynasty. But that mural is from the Tang Dynasty, so he must have bought it from somewhere and inlaid it.”
"Where did you buy it?" Song Chiyu asked innocently.
Qi Yanzhou hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Miss Song, do you really want me to spell it out so clearly?"
Song Chiyu nodded.
Qi Yanzhou helplessly took out his phone, found a photo in his album, and handed it to her. Song Chiyu examined it for a moment: "Is this a Liao Dynasty agate ornament?"
Qi Yanzhou nodded.
"This is what you said you were going to show me?" Song Chiyu asked, puzzled. "Isn't this the old rope untying tool?"
“There are words engraved on it,” he said, looking somewhat dazed. “It’s a tomb raiding talisman.”
"Tomb Raiders?"
“Yes, the Qi family ancestors must have done this.” He licked his lips. “That mural must have been cut down from the tomb of the Qi family ancestor by my great-grandfather, and that seated clay statue is also from that ancestor.”
"Rumors circulated that the Qi family had a shady past, that they made their fortune through tomb raiding. But that's not true. To be precise, my great-grandfather dug up our family's ancestral graves. I don't know exactly what he found, but after that, my great-grandfather started dealing in antiques and gradually became a well-known collector. Later, due to some special historical reasons, many of the family's belongings were lost, and the Qi family declined. But by my grandfather's generation, those things had all returned. I suspect that he must have hidden those things in my great-grandfather's grave."
"Now do you know why the Qi family attaches so much importance to ancestor worship? It's because we are where we are today thanks to the inheritance passed down from generation to generation by our ancestors." Qi Yanzhou said, finding it amusing: "The reason I don't want others to know about this is because I'm afraid someone will use this as an excuse to ask me why my ancestors could do what others did."
"The title of 'Captain of Tomb Raiders' was a legitimate official position. What have they become now that they've been demoted?"
Qi Yanzhou nodded. "That's why there's a difference between those who have studied and those who haven't. The other day I told them that if they really love studying Chinese history and culture, they should get a certificate and take the exam to study it openly and honestly, but they all thought I was mocking them."
Song Chiyu instantly realized who "they" was and couldn't help but laugh, "So, your second and third masters stood up for Qi Si yesterday, and they used this as an excuse too?"
"Yes, but what they think is different from what I'm saying. They think the Qi family is as shady as people in the underworld say. Qi Si thinks I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. He openly questions me, saying that his ancestors could even touch Qin Shi Huang's tomb, so why can't he?"
Song Chiyu was also amused.
Qi Yanzhou continued, "I told him to take a certification exam so he could go down there. He disagreed, so I told him there were government agencies down there, and he asked me seriously what kind of agencies. I said the public security agencies, and he got upset."
"You just spent the whole afternoon arguing with them like that?"
“Hmm,” he said, leaning on her shoulder with a hint of weariness, “I can’t explain it. You talk to him about science, and he talks to you about metaphysics. I talk to him about civilization and the rule of law, and he says that my dad and I have made enough money and no one else is allowed to make any more.”
Song Chiyu hadn't laughed this happily in a long time.
"Then what?"
“I told him there are so many ways to make money, why don’t he find a legal and compliant one? He said he didn’t have the ability. I said if he didn’t have the ability, whose fault was that? Then he said I was humiliating him.”
Song Chiyu suddenly regretted not being there.
"I thought you weren't good with words and that they would bully you."
"They're about to hit me, isn't that bullying me?" he asked, looking up.
"We haven't even fought yet, have we?" Song Chiyu couldn't help but touch his face. "He's still very handsome."
He examined her palm and asked, "What have you and Qi Zhannan been hiding from me?"
“Oh,” Song Chiyu said dismissively, repeating what she had said to Qi Zhannan, “I was just teasing him.”
"Is it more fun to tease him or me?" He suddenly stood up, bracing himself on his hands beside her, startling her so much that she instantly fell back onto the bed.
Song Chiyu pointed at him.
He lifted her shirt and pinched her waist hard. "You really want to compete?"
Song Chiyu then realized that he was setting a trap for her.
However, she didn't want to be angry. Instead, she smiled with her eyes crinkling and said, "Qi Yanzhou, you schemed against me."
He did not deny it.
He seized the opportunity to lower his head and kiss her lips. Song Chiyu braced her feet against his waist and abdomen, "Where is that agate agate now?"
He held her ankle and knelt down to approach her. "It's in my bookshelf. If you want it, I'll go back and get it for you tomorrow."
"You just gave it to me like that?" Song Chiyu was shocked.
“That’s how my grandfather gave it to me.” He put her ankle on his shoulder and kissed her again.
Her other foot braced against his chest, forcing him to sit up.
How did you receive it?
"I'll tell you later." He took her ankle and placed it to the side, giving her no chance to break free, then pulled her face close and kissed her passionately.
At first, Song Chiyu was somewhat inclined to play around with him, but she was gradually influenced by his emotions and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out a soft moan.
Sensing her emotion, he took off his own pajamas with one hand before bending down to unbutton hers. Song Chiyu was incredibly embarrassed and covered her face, reminding him, "Turn off the light."
"Not even a glance?"
She pursed her lips, unable to bear it.
He was allowed to glance at it.
However, the light she sensed between her fingers remained unresponsive, and she even felt a soft, damp touch against her chest. Song Chiyu knew what had happened without looking, but she didn't stop him; she simply pursed her lips silently.
Qi Yanzhou noticed her restraint.
He didn't push his luck any further and turned off the bedside lamp. She finally lowered her hands from her face, and he leaned down beside her, pulling at her pajama bottoms: "Take them off?"
Song Chiyu did not want him to succeed so quickly.
She deliberately kept him hanging, saying, "Wait a minute."
He was also dutiful; when she disagreed, he immediately let go of her hand, took her arm, and wrapped it around his neck. "Hold me, Ayu."
“Now you know to call me Ayu…” Song Chiyu didn’t miss any opportunity to tease him.
He just smiled.
He gripped her waist again in the darkness and kissed her lips. The entire large room was filled with the sounds of their kissing.
Song Chiyu's nose was covered in a fine layer of sweat from the room's heating.
She felt the atmosphere was right, so she gently nudged him, just as she was about to tell him he could take his clothes off, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Song Chiyu was startled and trembled, then snuggled into his arms and said coquettishly, "Why are you here again? Where do so many people come from all day long looking for you?"
Qi Yanzhou gave her a reassuring kiss on the lips, then turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"
His cool and dignified voice made it impossible to tell what kind of atmosphere he had been immersed in just a moment ago.
Song Chiyu let out a soft hum.
He turned around, gently stroking her face, and quietly waited for a reply from the person outside.
Song Chiyu bit his lip in a fit of anger.
But she couldn't bring herself to use too much force, as if she were teasing him. He lowered his eyelids slightly and pinched her waist, as if questioning where her earlier energy had gone.
Song Chiyu stubbornly puffed out her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
A familiar male voice sounded from outside the door: "Second brother, it's someone from Second Uncle's family. I don't know what's urgent, but Third Master and Second Master are already waiting for you in the main hall."
Song Chiyu got angry as soon as she heard that.
Those old guys can't sleep at night, why are they holding a meeting with someone who has a wife?
She definitely wouldn't go.
But Master Qi is Master Qi after all, and he still prioritizes the bigger picture. He replied calmly, "I understand, I'll be there in a bit."
The people outside the door dared not urge them.
But we didn't hear any sound of them leaving.
Song Chiyu wrapped her legs around his waist and refused to let go.
She pulled his hand and placed it on her waistband: "You're not allowed to go."
Qi Yanzhou knew she was just saying it out of anger, so he lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips: "I'll be back in a bit."
"Wait a minute," she tilted her head and pressed her lips close to his, "before you go."
How do you rub it in?
She hooked her arm around his waistband.
Qi Yanzhou took a breath without making a sound, recalling her earlier unwillingness, and couldn't help but bite her earlobe: "What about just now?"
"Who knew you were leaving now?" Song Chiyu said coquettishly, "Hurry up."
Qi Yanzhou knew what she meant, and the result would be the same as yesterday.
"no."
Song Chiyu also disagreed.
But he couldn't resist her, and after some hesitation, he gave in.
Qi Yanzhou was already trying to restrain himself, but when she pressed her against him like that, his scalp tingled.
So that's what it feels like.
No wonder lust can cloud judgment. Even someone like him wanted to abandon everything and indulge in her tender embrace.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck and coaxed her in a voice softer than ever before, "Ayu, wait for me a little longer."
She was even more itchy to get her hands on it.
She moved her hips without a care, and moaned softly in his ear.
His long, slender, pale fingers gripped her waist tightly.
The veins on his arms were all bulging.
"Brother~" She took his hand and moved it towards the upper edge of his ribs, then, perhaps afraid he would misunderstand that she was calling someone else, she changed her words and emphasized, "Master Qi~ Let me rub you~"
“You really are a…” His hand fell down, and a bead of sweat slid down his forehead.
"Hurry up." She didn't care how he felt; she was only concerned with using him for her own pleasure. The person outside, seeing that no one was coming, knocked again: "Second Brother."
At this moment, her emotions had just reached their peak.
A sob, almost a cry, escaped her ear. He nearly lost control of his emotions and took a step forward, almost imperceptibly. She nestled on his shoulder and said in a pitiful voice, "It hurts."
He immediately regained his senses.
cannot.
His and her first time couldn't be like this.
Her emotions had calmed down, and she seemed to be using him and then discarding him. She loosened her arms around him and gave him a light kick: "Go ahead and get busy, Master Qi."
"Song Chiyu—"
"You were just calling me Ayu a moment ago." Song Chiyu said with dissatisfaction, but her actions were decisive. She went into the bathroom, washed up quickly, changed into her pajamas, and crawled into bed.
Qi Yanzhou was so angry that he laughed instead.
I went into the bathroom, took a cold shower, forced myself to calm down, changed into a shirt and formal attire, and went out.
"Brother, you've worked so hard." As she watched him walk to the door, she couldn't resist peeking half her head out from under the covers to provoke him.
His fingers, which were gripping the doorknob, paused.
He calmly said to the person outside the door, "You go ahead, I'll be right there."
The people outside the door had no idea what was happening.
But the room remained quiet the whole time. Without giving it much thought, he left first.
As soon as he left, a soft thud was heard from inside the room as the mattress was pressed down heavily.
Song Chiyu was caught off guard by the sudden kiss on the pillow, and before she could even catch her breath, a cold hand reached over the warm blankets and grasped her nightgown.
She snorted in dissatisfaction.
But the kiss deepened. Song Chiyu could barely breathe before he finally lifted his head to release her, but his hand, which was still in front of her, remained.
"If you give me any more pleasure, I'll just ignore whether I live or die." His breathing was also slightly rapid.
"You didn't understand yesterday that I didn't like you..."
Before he could finish speaking, he pinched her face and kissed her again.
Now, it's not just that he's pulling up his pants and then ignoring him, which is making him unhappy.
Disliking him is just as unbearable.
[Author's Note]
[Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers] I'm late~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
