45 Heart-to-heart talk
"I like it, I like everything, brother, please continue."
Unfortunately, her voice was so muffled that Qi Yanzhou couldn't hear it clearly even though he was so close.
"What?"
"I……"
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Qi Jianguo called out, "Yanzhou, are you feeling any better? I made you some hangover soup."
Qi Yanzhou looked down at her as if he hadn't heard anything.
Song Chiyu was naturally embarrassed to keep Qi Jianguo waiting outside for too long, so she could only speak first to force Qi Yanzhou to comply: "Right away, big brother."
However, Qi Yanzhou remained completely still.
Song Chiyu frowned in displeasure, "Your older brother is already this old, how can you bear to let him wait outside?"
Qi Yanzhou, being drunk, was naturally free from all social constraints, but Song Chiyu was. As the other sober person, others would only think she was being inconsiderate and hadn't taken good care of Qi Yanzhou. Sensing her pressure, he didn't press her further and got up to walk towards the door.
Qi Yanzhou waited until Song Chiyu had finished getting ready and stood up before opening a crack in the door.
Qi Jianguo didn't think much of it and handed him the bowl. Seeing his unusual submissiveness, he couldn't help but adopt the airs of an older brother and grumble, "You should be gentler with Nannan. I asked him to bring you some hangover soup, but he didn't even dare to come."
"Who is Nan Nan?" Qi Yanzhou asked, putting down the bowl he was holding.
"Our Zhannan!" Qi Jianguo, seeing that he was truly drunk, grew bolder: "Look at the damage he did to his leg before, it's still..."
"Qi Jianguo," Qi Yanzhou said in an instant, his usual indifference returning, "I haven't even mentioned the car you bought for him. What right does he have to drive such an expensive car? He can't even afford the gas himself. He's twenty-five or twenty-six years old, does he have a single penny that he earned himself?"
Qi Jianguo immediately fell silent.
He was in his forties or fifties, his head drooping, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"Come in." Qi Yanzhou opened the door and took a step back.
Qi Jianguo regretted his actions but dared not argue. As he entered, he tentatively asked, "So, I don't need to come in, do I?"
Why buy him a car?
Qi Jianguo couldn't detect a trace of drunkenness in him at all. He had a mournful face and said, "I... I was just looking after the child's broken leg. It's inconvenient for him to go anywhere every day."
"Then why did he break his leg?"
Qi Jianguo dared not utter a sound.
Hearing that Qi Jianguo was coming in, Song Chiyu wisely went outside to the courtyard to avoid being caught in the crossfire. To be fair, the moon was beautiful tonight, but it was a bit cold without a coat.
“I know that in your heart, Zhan Nan is already a good boy because he doesn’t drink, gamble, or visit prostitutes. But he shouldn’t just be a child.”
Qi Jianguo licked his lips, hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage to say, "But you can't expect everyone to be like you."
How am I?
“A person like you would be an outstanding individual anywhere. Nan Nan is just an ordinary person. If you have something at home, let him use it.”
"What do you mean by an ordinary person? He can't even be considered a man now."
“How can he not be a man?” Qi Jianguo still felt sorry for Qi Zhannan: “Once he gets married and has children, he will grow up.”
"Leave him to his wife to teach?" Qi Yanzhou asked, "Don't you bear any responsibility as a father?"
“Dad didn’t interfere either,” Qi Jianguo said, thinking that his expectations were too high. “You’ll understand when you become a parent yourself; being a parent isn’t easy.”
"Me, a parent?"
Before she could finish speaking, a dull thud echoed from the bedroom door. Before Song Chiyu could even process what was happening, Qi Yanzhou raised his voice and demanded, "I wouldn't act like this as a parent. If you truly love your son, you should take care of your own family, not when he needs family the most—"
But he managed to control his emotions, and after a brief silence, replied calmly, "Never mind. Thank you for the hangover soup. I'm fine."
Qi Jianguo had already begun to regret his actions the moment he was let in, and hearing his words stung his heart even more. "Yanzhou, I know we're all doing this for the child, but some educational methods just aren't suitable for Zhannan."
Qi Yanzhou drank the remaining hangover soup without answering.
Qi Jianguo knew he shouldn't have said that, but since he'd already started, he should at least finish. "I just think you shouldn't have been so cruel to Zhan Nan, your own nephew..."
“There’s no right or wrong, it’s just that if you do something wrong, you have to accept the punishment. Everyone is the same.” Qi Yanzhou handed the bowl back, gestured for him to leave, and then slammed the door shut behind him once he was outside.
Song Chiyu peeked out from behind the sliding door of the courtyard.
He calmed himself down, removed his hand from the wall, and straightened up as if nothing had happened: "What's wrong?"
Song Chiyu closed the door and walked up to him: "Aren't you afraid of offending people by doing this?"
"Well, but we've already done enough to offend people, so one more won't make a difference."
Song Chiyu couldn't quite describe her feelings: "I thought your older brother and your father were at least on your side."
However, judging from his elder brother's words, although they were afraid of him, they did not truly understand the meaning behind what he was doing.
Qi Yanzhou smiled gently and took a light blanket to cover her shoulders: "They've already been quite on my side, but disagreements are inevitable. Once we talk things out, everything will be fine."
Song Chiyu didn't know if he was comforting her or if he really thought that way.
The inexplicable feeling in my heart did not fade away.
He took her hand and sat down on the edge of the bed, asking with a hint of reassurance, "Do you know who in this family supports me the most?"
She was unaware of this.
"who?"
"Qi Zhannan".
Song Chiyu was startled.
"It's funny, actually. I'm the harshest to him, yet he trusts me the most. Whenever someone stands against me, he'll side with me without any reason. When others ask him, 'Don't I ever make mistakes?' he answers them with absolute certainty, 'No.' He props himself up with one hand behind him, looking up at the night outside the window: 'He doesn't know what I'm trying to do, but he thinks everything I do is right. I know he's not a bad kid, but my older brother and the others never seem to consider that the Qi family might one day break down. They think they can protect him in this little world forever.'"
Song Chiyu suddenly understood his concerns.
It's less about the Qi family and more about him. The reason others don't realize it is because they are the ones sitting on the boat, never imagining that the person in charge of this great ship might one day collapse.
Do you think you can't support the Qi family?
“Everything has its cycles. All the great families that can transcend eras are deeply intertwined with the fate of the nation. But too many people in the Qi family can’t see this. For a little bit of petty gain, they see me as an obstacle to them.” The smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented desolation: “Since I took over the Qi family, you are the only one who has ever asked me this question. No one thinks I can’t hold on.”
"Even if you don't say anything, I won't think you can't hold on."
He chuckled and tilted his head towards her, saying, "Thank you."
“I didn’t think you were harsh on Qi Zhannan. On the contrary, I think he admires you and wants to become like you. In a sense, he is also an ambitious person.” She pondered, “I am more willing to interpret your strictness towards him as you think he can do better and become the pillar of the Qi family, rather than just a sheltered child.”
“He has both obligations and responsibilities,” Qi Yanzhou replied. “But he misunderstands this identity. He hasn’t considered that even as the head of the family, he has to suffer grievances and bow down to others. He thinks that as long as he brings up Master Qi’s name, everyone should naturally respect and fear him. He hasn’t thought about where this respect comes from.”
It was earned little by little.
Song Chiyu didn't speak, but simply rested her head gently on his shoulder.
“But sometimes when I see his innocent and carefree attitude, I feel sorry for him. It would be nice if the Qi family could support him for the rest of his life.”
Eight years old.
The uncle and nephew are eight years apart in age.
However, their mindsets and circumstances are completely different. When Qi Zhannan makes a mistake, everyone thinks it's just because he's a child and doesn't know any better, but Qi Yanzhou can't make mistakes, and he also has to stop others from making mistakes.
Song Chiyu intertwined her fingers with his, gently pinching his fingers: "I don't feel that you're not vibrant, nor do I feel that you lack vitality. Some people are like puppies, like animals, their joys and sorrows are all on their faces, giving people a fresh and energetic feeling. Others are like plants, like big trees, putting their roots into the soil, seeking water and absorbing nutrients in unknown places, so that they can grow deeper and grow branches that can cover the sky."
"The you I see is far more vibrant than you think."
She answered very seriously.
Qi Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh, his eyebrows softening. After a while, he asked softly, "Do you like it?"
She pursed her lips slightly, revealing a hint of embarrassed restraint: "Yes, I like it."
"How does that compare to when you liked him?"
Song Chiyu didn't know why she didn't keep focusing on Xie Yunjin, but she still answered truthfully, "It's different."
"How are they different?"
"At that time, our age, mindset, experience, and status were all different, so naturally our standards of preference were also different."
"What did you like about him back then?" He seemed genuinely interested in chatting with her, his voice calm and natural.
Song Chiyu pursed her lips, unsure if it was something she should say.
He noticed her hesitation and nodded in acknowledgment: "Hmm?"
Song Chiyu repeatedly emphasized, "We're just chatting, you won't be jealous."
"Won't."
"Back then, I liked that he was smart, never gossiped, and was very reliable. He often wore a white shirt and black-rimmed glasses, looking very intellectual and aloof." She was only eighteen or nineteen years old at the time, full of wonderful expectations for everything. There wasn't much backstabbing among the classmates, and Xie Yunjin, as her senior, wasn't criticized much. Just thinking about it makes her feel wonderful.
"You miss it?" He subtly noticed the change in her expression.
She immediately became alert. "I only miss that era, not Xie Yunjin."
“It’s okay, you don’t need to deliberately avoid the fact that you loved him in front of me,” he replied gently, his eyelids lowered.
Song Chiyu was skeptical. "Back then, some classmates reminded me that he was a good person as a colleague and as a friend, but not as a lover. I didn't believe it and insisted on going down that path. Later, I found that the time I spent with him was indeed less happy than sad."
"Why?"
“He’s very busy and very career-oriented. He… can’t quite understand why I want to see him and talk to him every day.” Song Chiyu still feels a pang of sadness when she recalls the anxiety and unease of that time: “When I was upset with him because I felt neglected, he would ask me why I couldn’t spend my time on more useful things, like reading, memorizing vocabulary, or doing anything that was better than thinking about seeing him.”
She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "I was still young and hadn't seen enough. If someone said something like that to me now, I would break up with them without hesitation. Back then, I just saw it as a test of love, thinking that to achieve extraordinary results, one has to put in more effort than the average person. But looking back now, he wasn't that extraordinary. In the end, we're all just ordinary people who eat grains."
"kindness."
Song Chiyu, certain that he wasn't truly angry, continued, "I knew he wasn't that interested in me, so I wore pretty dresses to see him every day to try and make him pay more attention to me. And it actually worked; he started thinking about me and became curious about me. As a result, I was constantly catching a cold, and he didn't notice anything amiss."
Looking back now, she can only describe it with two words.
"How stupid."
“Hmm,” he sat up and gently ruffled her hair, “You’re not that silly, you’re just more sincere.”
Feeling understood, Song Chiyu relaxed even more, and began to explain her previously guarded questions more openly: "You can't say I love anyone more; it's just that I know better how to love myself now. You say I don't like you, so why wouldn't I marry someone else? But if you ask me how much I can love you—"
Not necessarily.
"Hmm?" He gestured for her to continue.
“If you treat me the same way he did back then, I will turn around and leave without hesitation. I will never again force myself to love you.”
"kindness."
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" she became alert again.
“Avoid the pitfalls,” he said, standing up and unbuttoning his shirt collar, “and don’t repeat the mistakes he made.”
No wonder he studied history.
Everyone knows to learn from history in this matter. Song Chiyu sincerely admired him, saying, "Your learning ability is quite good."
"Thank you." Seeing that her hands were gradually warming up, he stood up calmly and walked towards the ensuite bathroom in the room: "I'm going to take a shower first."
It's clear that the previous topic had no effect on him.
I approached this matter entirely with a learning attitude.
Song Chiyu lay on the bed, pondering his actions. Although he was sometimes unfathomable, he never made people feel uneasy or have wild thoughts.
The sound of water in the bathroom stopped quickly, and he came out without even drying his hair. "Go take a shower."
"Are you going to sleep?" Song Chiyu asked, getting up.
"kindness."
He did look very tired.
Song Chiyu didn't say much, and went to the bathroom. He brought her a new toothbrush and towel from outside, and her pajamas were one of his shirts.
She took it through the door.
After a while, she changed into a T-shirt and came out. Although the room was heated, the length of the shirt, which just covered her hips, was still a bit uncomfortable.
She took his robe from the hanger and put it on.
He was clearly exhausted; all the lights in the room were off, except for the bedside lamp. She picked up the hairdryer from the desk, preparing to return to the bathroom, when the man, who seemed to be asleep, suddenly sat up. "Just sit there, I'll dry you."
Song Chiyu had no right to bother a drunk person, "No need, I can blow it myself."
However, he had already walked over, adjusted his chair, and said, "Sit down."
Song Chiyu had no choice but to obediently agree.
Remembering the band-aid on his finger, I couldn't help but hold his knuckles as they ran through my hair: "Actually, it doesn't have to be so complicated. I can do it myself."
"Okay." But he still didn't let go.
Song Chiyu slowly lowered his hand, and when her hair was almost dry, he put away the hairdryer and said, "I know you can do it, but I can do it too."
Since he didn't mind the trouble, Song Chiyu naturally didn't say anything more.
She sincerely accepted his kindness: "Thank you."
He walked towards the bathroom, still holding the hairdryer cord: "You're welcome."
Song Chiyu took off his bathrobe and went straight to bed. Just as he was about to lie down, he suddenly walked over from the bathroom opposite the foot of the bed. Song Chiyu subconsciously covered the hem of his robe behind his buttocks, but he didn't look. He went straight back to his previous position and sat down on the edge of the bed with his back to her.
It makes it seem like he's judging others by his own petty standards.
Song Chiyu was immediately a little embarrassed: "Did I turn off the lights?"
"Mmm." He closed his eyes and lay down facing her.
Song Chiyu habitually turned her back to him.
With her eyes closed, she was about to explain to him her subconscious act of covering herself when she suddenly felt herself fall into a warm chest. Long, slender, pale fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt and began to knead it methodically.
He had only been pinching her fingers for a moment when she couldn't help but call out.
Then, she felt her waist and hips warm up as warm lips enveloped her earlobe from behind. Her voice was even more coquettish. Regardless of how much she liked him, her body truly enjoyed it; she reacted almost as soon as she felt his touch.
His fingers traced the lace on her legs.
She immediately began to wail softly, her voice a mixture of sobbing and accusation.
"Chi Yu," she unconsciously turned around, and he half-sat up, stopping his fingertips, and asked gently, "I forgot to ask, so what do you like about me?"
Of all times—
Just when she was almost at the top, she was now stuck in the middle, just barely hanging on.
"I like it, I like everything about it." She wrapped her arms around his neck and coaxed him, wiggling her hips, "Brother, continue."
"You're not allowed to call me 'brother'." His tone was gentle, but it revealed obvious displeasure.
Unable to guess the reason for a moment, Song Chiyu took the initiative to pull down some of the fabric around her waist and straightened up to meet him, saying, "Husband, please continue."
"What do you mean by 'like everything'?" He peeled off the fabric she had pulled down and leaned close to her mouth to ask.
"It's just—um." She couldn't speak, and at that moment he kissed her. Her mind was completely occupied by the intense sensation brought by his fingertips, and she didn't realize how deep his kiss was.
By the time she came to her senses, she had been swallowed whole, from head to toe.
His gaze was deep and focused as he looked at her, but his voice was as gentle as ever: "Do you like it?"
Whether it was her imagination or not, he seemed to enjoy the feeling of her losing control in his arms.
"Mmm." She wrapped her arms around his neck, getting more and more comfortable with him, and said, "Continue, just a little more."
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