34 living together
"How can life be the same no matter who you live it with?"
The man who was lost in thought outside the door slowly raised his head when he heard her voice.
His originally stern features softened the moment he saw her clearly. He was also obviously curious about why she was there, and he tilted his head meaningfully as he looked at her.
The young man cooking in the courtyard also came out. "Brother Qi, this young lady is here to look at the apartment. Brother Yue went out to collect some goods, and I still have something cooking in the pot. Would it be convenient for you to take this young lady to see it?"
“Sure,” he said calmly, extending his hand to the young man. “Which one?”
Before the young man could answer, Song Chiyu lowered her head and walked out, saying, "I don't want to rent it anymore, thank you."
Qi Yanzhou grabbed her arm and waited for the young man's reply without turning his head.
The young man handed him the keychain, saying, "I'll send you the address right away."
Qi Yanzhou led Song Chiyu outside without saying a word.
Song Chiyu pursed her lips, wondering where to begin her conversation with him.
He suddenly spoke up: "So you really have something to do. I thought you were deliberately avoiding me."
"Why would I avoid you?" She felt rather embarrassed, remembering how she had tried to seduce him but was discovered. She glanced at him subconsciously, then quickly lowered her head again.
"I thought I was a bit too fierce yesterday and scared you," he explained gently.
Song Chiyu: "..."
She never dreamed she would hear those words from such a refined and virtuous person.
And she didn't know how to answer.
Saying no is like saying you can be even more ruthless next time.
To say yes would be too against my conscience.
After thinking it over, I replied with the word "no".
These two words have too many meanings.
He remembered her reluctance to answer at noon and didn't ask any further.
After walking nearly a hundred meters, the two stopped in front of an antique shop with a sign that read "Shop for Rent".
The room had been emptied out, leaving only some cabinets and remnants of trash. Qi Yanzhou searched for a while before finding the key, opened the door, and was immediately greeted by a musty smell.
Song Chiyu still went into the store and took a careful look around. The store was not big, and it was similar to what she saw from the outside, except that there was a small kitchen and a toilet in the back.
He came out again very quickly.
Song Chiyu hesitated, looking him over. "Teacher Qi, should I talk to you, or..."
What are you planning to do with this shop?
Song Chiyu knew she couldn't hide it from him.
He candidly admitted, "My original plan was to wait until I was sure before telling you. I'm planning to resign from my job and start my own business."
His first reaction upon hearing this was that she had encountered something she couldn't handle; otherwise, given her dedication and care for her profession, she wouldn't have so easily resigned.
"Have you encountered any problems at work?"
She pursed her lips and did not answer.
Qi Yanzhou looked at her clenched fingers, which were trembling with anxiety.
Noticing her unease, he gently pulled her into his arms: "It's okay, whatever decision you make, I'll support you. Not just in words or in spirit."
"What's that on?"
"In action."
Nestled in his arms, Song Chiyu felt as if she were floating in mid-air and being caught by something, suddenly finding herself grounded. Unable to hide it from him any longer, she said, "The real reason is that I don't want to owe Xie Yunjin a favor."
"What favor do you owe him?" Instead of being angry as expected, he asked patiently.
"Regarding my transfer back," Song Chiyu said. She knew that Qi Yanzhou had some connections in Mingzhou, but to be able to shake the vice dean's connections and render him powerless, his connections must be higher than those in Mingzhou, which meant he must be from Beijing.
Qi Yanzhou slowly raised his head: "It seems that he is still a very loyal person in your heart."
"It's not about affection; he's just unwilling to be forgotten by me like this." After all, from the time they met until their breakup, she was always the one chasing after him. "He probably thinks that even if I get married, I'll always remember his good qualities and never forget him. Don't worry, I won't."
"Yes, I know." Qi Yanzhou had already seen her determination in this matter, but there was one thing she was wrong about. "Miss Song, you only thought about how he was unwilling to be forgotten by you, but have you ever thought that this matter is actually because Ms. Li and I are worried about you?"
An expression of disbelief appeared on Song Chiyu's face.
He was still in a daze.
“I know you wanted to learn something over there, which is why you waited until now.” He took a deep breath helplessly. “Don’t underestimate me as your husband.”
He released her, sighing helplessly, "You don't need to think about how to keep me hooked. Just standing there is enough to attract me."
Faced with his undisguised sincerity, Song Chiyu felt deeply guilty for her behavior yesterday and obediently lowered her head, saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... I won't go fishing anymore."
“It’s alright,” he said, not wanting to be unreasonable, and gently ruffled her hair. “Let’s talk about it when we get back. It’s too dusty here.”
**
Back at the antique shop.
The young man had just finished serving the dishes when he saw Song Chiyu and Qi Yanzhou return. Thinking that she was interested in renting the place, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Miss Song, have you already made your choice?"
Before Song Chiyu could answer, Qi Yanzhou interrupted her, saying, "You don't need to worry about this for now. I'll talk to Zhou Yue when he gets back."
The young man looked puzzled.
"This is my wife," Qi Yanzhou had no choice but to introduce her.
The young man didn't understand. "What?"
"My wife."
The young man was shocked: "You're really married? Aren't you and Brother Yue...?"
"What?" Qi Yanzhou frowned.
The young man realized he had misunderstood. "It's alright, it's alright. Since she's Brother Qi's sister-in-law, she's practically family. Brother Yue will be back soon too, let's talk about it when he gets back."
After the young man left, Song Chiyu quietly tugged at Qi Yanzhou's sleeve, "Why did he call you Brother Qi? He doesn't know..."
“Yes, he doesn’t know,” Qi Yanzhou whispered in her ear, “Zhou Yue is the owner here.”
"Why?"
"It's hard to say," Qi Yanzhou hesitated, "You'll find out soon enough. Are you hungry?"
Song Chiyu shook her head.
“Let’s continue with what we were talking about,” Qi Yanzhou asked. “Would you like to sit here, or go to the courtyard?”
"I'm fine with either."
"Let's stay here then." He poured her a glass of water and sat down on the sofa. "Actually, after you take over that shop, you don't need to quit your job. Just come and open it when you have time."
"Why?"
“Because these kinds of customers are usually referred by others. There’s not much point in you standing there every day.” He rested one hand on the back of the chair behind him: “Just like this store doesn’t make money by selling its products. Sometimes it’s only open two days a week.”
"Then what do we rely on?"
Just as Qi Yanzhou was about to answer, the loud voices of Zhou Yue and the others suddenly rang out behind him. Upon seeing Qi Yanzhou, they immediately became beaming, completely unaware that there were other people beside him, and sat down on the armrest: "Master Qi, you've found some good stuff this time."
"Boss Zhou, you're really too cunning. I saw it first!" His companion said irritably, "but you beat me to it."
"Bullshit, I've already paid you, and you're only just realizing what it is now..." Zhou Yue laughed, then turned around and glanced at Song Chiyu beside him. His smile vanished instantly, and he stood up abruptly: "Sister-in-law."
Song Chiyu also stood up, unconsciously glancing at the box in his arms: "Hello, may I see what you received? Of course, it's not convenient if it's not convenient."
Zhou Yue subconsciously looked at Qi Yanzhou, and seeing that he didn't say anything, he put down the box in his hand. "There's no inconvenience at all, sister-in-law, feel free to look around."
Those colleagues who had already walked past the door turned back upon hearing this, wanting to see what was going on.
"What are you looking at?" Zhou Yue walked out with a smile, blocking the other person's view: "If you're really that curious, let me see your goods. We can trade."
Song Chiyu opened the box in her hand.
Most of the items inside were wrapped up, and if you opened any one of them, you'd find a small, famille rose cup in the shape of a bamboo shoot from the late Qing dynasty. She'd seen one like that at a stall before; even just fragments of it could fetch a high price. This one, conservatively estimated, would be worth around 30,000 to 40,000 yuan.
The next item she opened was a small Guangxu imperial kiln floral-patterned bowl, about ten centimeters in diameter, called a "tea ball," which typically costs over 50,000 yuan. These two pieces alone were already worth around 100,000 yuan, but when she asked Zhou Yue about the price he paid, she was utterly astonished. [1]
Two items for 500.
He also had a few copper coins from the Guangxu era. Those few coins alone were enough to cover his losses. It was practically free money.
Qi Yanzhou sat to the side, seemingly unfazed, indicating that this was not an isolated incident, but rather a common occurrence.
Indeed, no merchant is without cunning.
No wonder he made Zhou Yue the boss. Such a shady business is really bad for the Qi family's reputation.
After Song Chiyu had a general look at the contents of the box and heard the cost price, her opinion of Zhou Yue instantly changed. She calmly returned the box to Zhou Yue.
Qi Yanzhou asked in a low voice, "What are your thoughts?"
"It's too dark," Song Chiyu replied sincerely.
Qi Yanzhou chuckled, "However, some commercial restoration and appraisal businesses I've met are essentially the same. When they encounter someone who doesn't know the ropes, they'll try to swap fake goods for genuine ones."
"I definitely won't do that."
"I know you won't, but have you considered that others might be envious and tamper with your goods?" Qi Yanzhou raised the corner of his lips slightly: "Like that person at the door, do you think he saw Zhou Yue buying good goods at a low price and had any ulterior motives? Don't think too highly of people in this business."
Song Chiyu instantly realized that she had oversimplified the matter and fell silent.
Qi Yanzhou gently twirled her hair, which was draped over her shoulder, with his hand on the sofa: "Why do you think Li Guiyan wanted to teach you his skills? It's because he set up a trap for someone in Anxi. Someone paid ten million to take his life, and he wanted to use you to get close to me."
Song Chiyu was stunned for a moment before realizing who Li Guiyan was talking about.
"He, someone paid ten million to kill him, so how much money did he swindle from people?"
"At least two hundred million," Qi Yanzhou laughed. "But he got swindled by someone else and didn't get a single penny."
"So that's why he went into the archaeological station to restore artifacts—his purpose was to save his life?"
"Otherwise, with his skills, why would he need to go so far away to earn that little money?"
"He told me..." Song Chiyu hadn't expected that even though she was so careful, she would still be tricked, "Won't this cause you any trouble?"
"No." Qi Yanzhou's deep eyes revealed a clarity that had long seen through everything: "He doesn't dare ask me for favors through you. He just wants you to remember his kindness and lend me a hand."
Song Chiyu fell completely silent.
Qi Yanzhou gently patted her head: "Of course, this is something that others might encounter when they enter this industry. If you want to do it, you won't. If you just want to fix things for people, then do it. As for everything else, I'll take care of it."
"I just wanted to start a small business," Song Chiyu sighed. "I never expected it to be so complicated."
Seeing Song Chiyu lost in thought, he didn't disturb her any longer. He got up and walked towards Zhou Yue by the door, asking the person who had just been envious of Zhou Yue, "Who was that person?"
“A new merchant.” Zhou Yue took the cigarette out of his hand and laughed. “He just happened to run into us. If it were anyone else, those few words he just said would have gotten him beaten to a pulp on his way back.”
Qi Yanzhou made no judgment.
He replied calmly, "If he really misbehaves, just kick him out. We live in a society governed by law."
"Understood." Zhou Yue stubbed out his cigarette and looked at the young man waving in the courtyard: "Master Qi, sister-in-law, dinner's ready."
Song Chiyu ate her meal absentmindedly.
After dinner, she sat in Qi Yanzhou's car and couldn't help but ask, "After hearing what you said, I suddenly feel that our workplace is much simpler."
“Well,” he nodded, “so if you’re really interested in commercial restoration, just come and open your shop occasionally. Tell me what kind of renovation you want, and I’ll find someone to do it for you.”
"The rent..."
"You want to talk to me about rent?" He looked back at her. "My salary card is with you."
"That's right, I'd almost forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it." Song Chiyu thought for a moment, "That'll add hundreds of thousands more, won't it?"
"You're completely useless?"
“Hmm,” Song Chiyu nodded and murmured, “No wonder you don’t need a salary; you work purely as a hobby!”
"I wouldn't call it a hobby. My hobby is field archaeology, but our family's circumstances don't allow it, so I have to settle for second best."
What a convenient way to settle for second best.
Song Chiyu ignored him and asked the question she cared about most: "Then, you won't mind if I work with Xie Yunjin? What if he does what he did before..."
"First of all, I don't mind. Secondly, if what happened before happens again, he will be the one who suffers."
"You said you don't mind," she said skeptically, "Don't come asking me later who's the one who can't stand the light of day."
Qi Yanzhou recalled the situation in the Gobi Desert and glanced at her indifferently.
"Won't."
Relieved by his assurance, Song Chiyu breathed a sigh of relief.
He then asked, "Where are you going tonight?"
“Of course…” She remembered that Ms. Li had already told her to go back to her place.
"You won't have to worry about your mom overthinking things today."
“She’ll still overthink things when I go back.” And her thoughts will be even stranger: “Anyway, it’s all about sleeping, so it doesn’t matter where you are.”
They should still be different.
But he didn't reveal any of this to her; with his eyelids lowered, he gave a silent, agreeing response.
**
While it's called sleeping together, the real purpose is to try to start living with him.
Song Chiyu felt immense pressure as she considered having a real married life with him. In her mind, it was at times like these that all the real problems began to surface.
Who cooks, who washes the dishes, who mops the floor, who cleans, who does the laundry, and who pays the bills?
Just thinking about it gives me a headache.
Fortunately, Qi Yanzhou didn't hold it against her financially.
She remembered how foolish she had once dreamed of marriage when she was younger.
Song Chiyu turned off the shower behind her, took a deep breath, and knew that no matter how unwilling she was, she had to face it eventually. If only she could just admire his good looks and not have to bear the burdens of life.
If Qi Yanzhou could hear her thoughts at this moment, he would surely tell her to dream.
She sighed again, dried herself off, changed into her pajamas, and came out. Unexpectedly, she saw him wearing black and white loungewear, mopping the living room floor with a floor scrubber.
Upon seeing her, he naturally put the floor scrubber back in its original position.
He picked up the hairdryer that was already plugged in on the sink, untied the hair tie that bound her wet hair, and gently smoothed her hair.
Song Chiyu stared at him blankly through the mirror.
He felt her gaze and met her eyes through the mirror.
"What's wrong?" His gentle voice broke through the slight noise.
"It feels pretty good to be married." She took back the words she had used to berate herself for being so foolish in the bathroom.
He smiled slightly. "I think so too."
After he finished drying her hair, the washing machine finished washing the clothes. He picked them up and put them in the dryer. Only then did Song Chiyu realize that they were her clothes.
So, while she was taking a shower, he not only mopped the floor but also helped her wash her clothes.
Ironically, he also agrees that getting married is a good thing.
Song Chiyu felt embarrassed to watch him work, so she stood in the living room for a few minutes before returning to her bedroom.
He came in after drying the clothes: "Are you going to sleep?"
Song Chiyu nodded.
"Good night." He turned off the room light and closed the door.
Song Chiyu lay in bed, listening to the sounds of him bustling about outside, and drifted off to sleep without even realizing when he came in.
When she woke up groggily, the first thing she saw was his face, fast asleep beside her.
Her husband is so handsome.
She unconsciously moved closer to him and fell asleep again.
She was woken up by her alarm clock in the early morning.
The sky outside the window was still dark, but light shone through the crack in the tightly closed door. The man who had been sleeping beside her was no longer there.
She opened the door sleepily and walked towards the light. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, boiling eggs in the kitchen. Song Chiyu sat listlessly at the dining table. "Teacher Qi, no need to trouble yourself. Our workplace has a cafeteria."
He poked his head out from the kitchen: "You're up?"
She nodded, leaning on the table.
Qi Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh and placed a glass of warm water in front of her.
"Have a sip of water first."
She didn't move.
Qi Yanzhou's smile deepened. He sat down on the chair next to her, pulled her onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her legs that were hanging down to his waist: "Luckily, it's just the two of us at home. If there were any more people, they would all ask me what happened to you yesterday that made you so sleepy."
"You think you didn't do anything to me the day before yesterday?" Song Chiyu said, resting her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed. "You're allowed to... but I'm not allowed to catch up on sleep?"
"What are you allowing me to do?"
Song Chiyu couldn't bring herself to say it.
Ignore him.
He seemed to be thinking of something, so he leaned back in his chair, patted her back and laughed: "Yeah, you've got to keep me hanging on, work, and deal with Ms. Li, it must be pretty tough."
“Yeah,” Song Chiyu said, her sleepiness lessened as she sat up. “And you caught me. I really… I’m just asking for trouble.”
Qi Yanzhou gently stroked her face: "Are you coming over to sleep tonight?"
"Of course." All her stress vanished the moment she saw him mopping the floor. If she had known he was so understanding and considerate, she wouldn't have left the night before last. Wherever she slept, it didn't matter.
"What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook it."
She hadn't thought of it at first, but felt that he had entered the role a little too quickly. But this might not be a bad thing for her.
"Let me think about it," Song Chiyu replied matter-of-factly.
"Okay, let me know if you think of anything." The sound of boiling water came from the kitchen. He lifted her off his lap, put her back in the chair, and walked towards the kitchen.
[Author's Note]
[Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying] Ahhhh, it's so late every day, I'm too ashamed to face everyone! [Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying][Facepalm laughing and crying] Thank you everyone for the food!! I'm leaving now!!
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