49 Competition
◎“His WeChat Moments are full of pictures of her, and he says she's his wife.”◎
When their emotions ran deep, Song Chiyu melted into his arms like a pool of water.
Her eyes were filled with longing and a misty haze.
It makes it impossible to doubt the truthfulness of her words.
He stopped questioning her, and she simply said that love is love.
In a moment of distraction, she moved her hips to reach for it. He took a deep breath and removed the one he was wearing. A moment of blankness filled her eyes, and he leaned down to kiss her lips, his expression softening again: "Wait a minute before putting it on."
She gently tapped him on the back, but didn't say anything more.
Let him continue.
...
Afterwards, both of them were drenched in sweat.
Song Chiyu took a shower first. Seeing that it wasn't too late, and knowing that He Zhu, who shared a room with her, was still awake, she said, "How about I go back to the hotel now? So you don't have to get up early to see me off."
He had just finished showering and came out, smiling helplessly, "What do you take me for? Go to sleep, I'll take you tomorrow."
"I didn't mean anything by it, I just didn't want to bother you too much."
"It's no trouble at all."
Song Chiyu stopped insisting. After getting into bed, she took the initiative to hug his waist and snuggle into his arms. But this man didn't play by the rules at all. Suddenly, he propped himself up and kissed her.
She was kissed suddenly and let out a whimper of resistance. But he didn't just give her a quick kiss; the kiss deepened, and his broad hands once again went under the hem of her nightgown, landing on the curves of her clothes.
This time she was really anxious. She slammed her arm against his shoulder in annoyance, avoiding his lips: "Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere with my competition?"
Knowing he was in the wrong, he didn't say a word in defense, but instead pulled her face close and kissed her again.
She was initially a little dissatisfied, but gradually she got into the mood and couldn't help but wrap her legs around his waist and begin to respond.
The bow tied behind her neck was loosened again.
She said coquettishly, "Be gentle."
"Okay, I'll go slower." His soft lips lingered on hers. "If you tell me to stop, I'll stop."
Song Chiyu was so charmed that she was completely bewildered, and half-heartedly went along with it again.
He wasn't lying; he was indeed extremely gentle, but it took even longer than before. She glanced at the time; the night was already getting deep.
"Honey, I really want to sleep now."
"Mmm." He gently kissed his lips. "Goodnight."
Unexpectedly, just as dawn was breaking and before the alarm clock rang, she was unexpectedly seduced into doing it again. He used gentleness as a shield, gradually enticing her to go deeper. She had initially refused because she was in a hurry, but then she relented and agreed.
Song Chiyu immediately realized that the water droplets falling on her face were not accidental; he had really been holding back for a long time, and she had just had to provoke him.
"Honey, I was wrong." She was exhausted and began to apologize to him, her legs pressed together.
He nearly lost his composure, taking a deep breath inwardly. "What did I do wrong? I wasn't punishing you."
"Who... brings people here three times in one night?"
"There wasn't just one night; last night there were only two."
Song Chiyu couldn't argue with him, so she could only coax him to finish quickly.
He was quite receptive to this and didn't make things too difficult for her, finishing as quickly as possible. But in Song Chiyu's eyes, it still felt very long; no one's session usually lasts at least half an hour.
She stood up, supporting her weak legs, brushed the water stains off the sheets, and walked nonchalantly into the bathroom.
She had a photoshoot today, and all the clothes she needed were at the hotel. She quickly put on some light makeup and headed out. Qi Yanzhou was already waiting for her in his car outside, and had handed her the breakfast he had prepared.
Holding the warm water glass and milk, Song Chiyu suddenly lost her anger towards him and said coquettishly, "You really want... too much. It will affect your lifespan."
Qi Yanzhou was immediately amused by her words, and for a moment he didn't know whether she was concerned about him or scolding him.
He pulled her face close and kissed her, saying, "I'm sorry, I'll restrain myself next time."
"Are you really unable to bear it, or... are you angry because of what happened yesterday?" She wasn't stupid. Based on her observations over this period of time, anyone involved with Xie Yunjin would be exceptionally ruthless, as if they wanted to fill her up completely, and wouldn't stop no matter how much she was told to.
"I wasn't angry, I just couldn't help it." He kissed her lips again. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again next time."
Song Chiyu didn't really blame him.
He didn't argue anymore: "Alright, let's drive. We'll be late."
"I checked and there's no traffic jam, don't worry."
Song Chiyu wasn't in a hurry about this. She took a sip of water from her glass and muttered unconsciously, "I knew that guy was my nemesis."
Otherwise, she would have gone straight to the hotel, and none of this would have happened.
Her legs are still feeling a little weak.
Qi Yanzhou smiled silently, revealing no attitude, and gently ruffled her hair.
**
When Song Chiyu arrived at the hotel, He Zhu was washing up. Hearing her knock, she immediately rinsed her mouth, opened the door, and said with a gossipy look, "So early? I thought you had to wait until we entered before you could make it."
"Who do you think you are?" Song Chiyu pinched He Zhu's waist in annoyance, walked into the room and saw that He Zhu had already taken out the clothes she wanted to wear and laid them neatly on the bed. She felt a heartfelt sense of gratitude: "Thank you, Xiao Zhu, I love you."
"Hey," He Zhu waved her hand dismissively, "Is Teacher Xie alright? I saw him faint yesterday and he was clinging to his clothes so tightly. I felt quite sorry for him."
Song Chiyu nodded: "He lost his glasses yesterday and can't see clearly. He probably only recognizes me."
Hearing this, He Zhu sighed, "It seems he really hasn't let go of you yet."
“But in my opinion, it’s a nuisance,” Song Chiyu replied truthfully.
"That means you're really happy with your life right now, and you don't want to look back."
Song Chiyu was taken aback.
Realizing belatedly that He Zhu made a good point, he nodded and said, "Yes, Teacher Qi is very good."
"How good is he?" As soon as Qi Yanzhou was mentioned, He Zhu immediately became gossipy. To her, Qi Yanzhou was too mysterious. She rarely heard anything about him in the Liwen Academy. She wanted to know if he was as rigid, mature, and unromantic as everyone imagined.
"He has a good personality, rarely loses his temper, and has the ability to solve any problem. He also doesn't interfere with or order me around." The most aggressive thing he does is tease her in bed, but he's the one who puts in the effort, and in the end, she's the one who reaps the benefits. She enjoys it so much that she can't help but want to cling to him whenever she's around.
"Does he just not get angry, or does he not get angry at all?" He Zhu asked while wiping her face. "I heard from his colleagues that he basically has no emotions and is indifferent to everything. He doesn't really get close to people."
Song Chiyu once thought he was the kind of person who didn't have many emotions.
Ever since I learned about his other identity and gradually entered his life, I've come to understand him. It's not that he doesn't have emotions; he's just good at hiding them inside. And he's very good at solving problems, so you can hardly see anything that bothers him.
"Don't lose your temper."
He Zhu exclaimed in surprise, "How does he process his emotions?"
I've never seen it before.
No. Song Chiyu suddenly came to his senses. He had almost no emotions about other people's affairs. He would break a leg if he had to, say what he had to say, and do what he had to do even if it meant going against the majority.
Nothing could bother him.
Only she clearly felt his emotions: using the gentlest tone to do the cruelest things; he could coax her, but he just wouldn't stop.
She subtly clenched her lips.
He Zhu immediately smelled the melon. "Hmm?"
"I'll change my clothes first," Song Chiyu cleverly changed the subject.
Seeing that there was indeed no time left, He Zhu did not ask any more questions.
Song Chiyu wore a white shirt with wide sleeves and narrow cuffs, paired with a Chinese-style black vest, and an embroidered pale yellow long skirt. Combined with a neat low ponytail and pearl earrings, she looked exceptionally beautiful, with a gentle and bright beauty like a lotus emerging from water.
"Wow," He Zhu exclaimed sincerely, "The campus belle is indeed the campus belle; with just a little dressing up, she's like a star."
Song Chiyu enjoyed the compliment and thanked her while holding onto her skirt.
After they finished getting ready, they still had some time to go for breakfast. Song Chiyu had already eaten, so she grabbed a bottle of yogurt from the restaurant and drank it while waiting.
Everyone who entered stared at her.
Song Chiyu noticed it, but did not respond, focusing on the competition precautions that the team leader posted in the group.
Just then, a hand suddenly patted her from behind. She looked up sharply and saw the girl from yesterday sitting opposite Song Chiyu with two slices of bread.
Song Chiyu was startled: "Teacher Wu?"
The girl nodded, greeted them one by one, took a sip of water, and said, "Teacher Song, why did you insist on talking to Teacher Xie for so long? He's such a difficult person, isn't he?"
"Huh?" He Zhu didn't know about the girl's later trip to the hospital. "What do you mean?"
The girl ignored her and went straight to Song Chiyu for advice: "You can't praise him, you can't worry about him, and you definitely can't show concern for him. Yesterday I asked him to give me his WeChat, and he actually said to me, 'I've given you my WeChat, what will I use?'"
“He’s like that at first, but you’ll get used to him after a few more times,” Song Chiyu replied politely.
Are you sure that a few more visits will be enough?
"Perhaps." Song Chiyu wasn't sure either, and looked at her with considerable sympathy.
After the girl left, Song Chiyu told He Zhu about the girl's visit to the hospital the day before. He Zhu was initially shocked, and then even more surprised that a beauty of Song Chiyu's caliber would find it so difficult to pursue Xie Yunjin.
"Teacher Xie is a bit ungrateful."
"Don't do that," Song Chiyu smiled.
“If a beauty like you has to go through so much trouble to be pursued, then Teacher Wu still…” He Zhu looked at the girl’s back with the same pity.
Neither Song Chiyu nor He Zhu were mean-spirited people, and neither of them continued the conversation.
After all, this is their own business, and they have no right to interfere.
Soon, the team leader gathered them in the lobby.
The team leader gave each of them a work permit, and they all carried their toolboxes and entered their respective repair areas.
As they approached the entrance, He Zhu suddenly leaned closer to Song Chiyu and said, "I heard that in addition to restoration, there will also be archaeological excavation, and Professor Xie is one of the examiners."
"Where should we explore?" Song Chiyu looked around the venue but couldn't find a suitable spot.
"They're not in the same place as us; it's outdoors."
This is truly outdoor archaeology.
Song Chiyu nodded understandingly, and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn't want to run into that person again.
She and He Zhu took their seats in their respective places. There were about 300 people who entered the finals through the pre-competition training. Most of them had participated in the previous competition, while Song Chiyu and He Zhu were complete newcomers.
The paper paintings and calligraphy being restored were all genuine cultural relics, and each person received a randomly assigned question. After receiving her question, Song Chiyu began diagnosing the damage before starting the restoration.
She worked on it for a while, and then the camera and the examiner came over.
The camera on the left is from the official television station, and the examiner here is a lifetime research fellow at the National Museum of China and a vice chairman of the Cultural Relics Protection Association.
He Zhu's palms started sweating after being stared at for a while, but Song Chiyu didn't lose focus at all, concentrating on dealing with the moldy and insect-infested calligraphy and paintings in her hands.
However, the teacher who was the chief examiner came to see her several times.
Song Chiyu didn't know what he was looking at, but he wasn't affected and remained completely focused.
After the morning's matches ended, reporters came to interview her.
Although Song Chiyu was surprised, she still gave a polite reply.
That evening, Song Chiyu received a call from Li Li, who beamed with joy and said, "Baby, why didn't you tell Mom you were on TV?"
"Huh?" Song Chiyu exclaimed in surprise, "What TV show did I appear on?"
"You didn't know? It's on the news channel! If your dad hadn't seen it on the news, I would have loved to see my baby on TV!"
Song Chiyu was startled again.
After hanging up with Li Li, just as I was about to open my phone to search, I saw that Qi Jianguo had sent a video of himself filming a TV to the group chat, "@Song Chiyu, is this you?"
When Song Chiyu opened it, she saw a compilation of footage from her interviews and competitions.
She never imagined she would one day appear on such a national television station, and replied incredulously, "Yes, it was me."
Qi Jianguo also sent a voice message: "Oh dear, sister-in-law, such a big thing, why didn't you tell the family? If Dad didn't watch the news every day, how would he have seen you!"
My two cousins-in-law also congratulated me, saying, "My goodness, you look so beautiful! This is the first time I've ever seen anyone look so stunning on camera. Your earrings are perfect; where did you buy them?"
Qi Zhan, you didn't say anything, but you gave two thumbs up to show that you had read it.
Not only them, but Song Chiyu's work unit group also posted this news, and it was even posted by the official account of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
The dean took the lead in congratulating her, and other colleagues followed suit. Song Chiyu politely expressed her gratitude, remembering both the training she received from the institution and the help from her colleagues.
Every sentence is comprehensive.
After thanking everyone, Song Chiyu sent a WeChat message to Qi Yanzhou: "Did you see I was on TV?"
Qi Yanzhou didn't reply, but instead sent a video he had filmed.
He started filming from the moment the host began her announcement and continued filming until the news ended. When he saw her come out, he even zoomed in on her.
Song Chiyu smiled and said, "Did you know I was going to be on TV today?"
Qi Yanzhou called to explain: "Didn't you say that the media would be coming to film? I guessed you might be there, so I waited a little while in advance."
"What if they don't show up?" Then all that waiting would have been for nothing.
"What if I get accepted?" He's not short of time.
Song Chiyu couldn't help but laugh.
He Zhu, who was standing nearby, heard her sweet and innocent voice and looked at her in surprise. She was completely different from the gentle and beautiful woman in her memory. Her words revealed a lively and lovely quality, just like a young girl.
Song Chiyu didn't notice her and went to the window to chat with Qi Yanzhou.
He Zhu didn't listen anymore and went straight to the bathroom to wash up. Unexpectedly, after she had been busy for more than ten minutes, Song Chiyu was still on the phone.
Noticing her surprised gaze, Song Chiyu thought she had disturbed her, made an apologetic gesture, and quickly hung up the phone.
"You didn't bother me. I was just surprised that someone as quiet as your husband could talk for so long," He Zhu quickly explained after realizing that she had misunderstood.
“He talks a lot,” Song Chiyu replied.
He Zhu nodded: "Now I can see it."
Song Chiyu was immediately amused.
She covered her lips with the back of her hand and laughed.
He Zhu genuinely felt the happiness emanating from her and was unconsciously infected by it, smiling along with her.
"Oh my, seeing you makes me want to get married."
But she quickly came to her senses: "But I probably won't meet someone as good as Teacher Qi."
Song Chiyu was too embarrassed to tell her that she had thought the same way before.
"Whether you'll meet the right person or not is something you'll only know when you do. Besides, everyone's definition of 'good' is different. Some people may be considered great by others, but they might not be suitable as partners. Others may be difficult to get along with, but they're very good to you. There are also great differences between people. Some people might think you're not good in this way or that way, while others might think you're good in every way. I used to think that it didn't matter who I married, but now I realize that it's not the same. You have to find someone who makes you feel happy and secure."
"Wow," He Zhu exclaimed, "I feel like your views on love have changed."
“Yes,” Song Chiyu said without any hesitation, “When you meet bad people, you see everyone as bad; when you meet good people, you see everyone as good. I feel right now that your happiness is waiting for you in some unexpected corner. He will think that everything about you is perfect, that you don’t need to change, that you are good just by standing there.”
He Zhu was moved by her words and couldn't help but throw herself into her arms. "Yes, I believe that happiness will be waiting for me in some unexpected moment."
**
The three-day competition ended quickly.
After Song Chiyu returned, she became a celebrity in her workplace, especially since she won a second prize. The workplace's official WeChat account and the city's newsletter were full of congratulations to her.
The dean also shared this post on his WeChat Moments, which led to a wave of similar posts from everyone in the hospital. Song Chiyu also had to share it to express her gratitude to everyone.
Suddenly, her WeChat Moments were filled with pictures of her, making her too embarrassed to look at them anymore.
I returned to Qi Yanzhou's apartment that evening.
The custom-made dressing table arrived, its intricate patterns and fragrant wood scent filling the air. She was first amazed by the craftsmanship, then discovered that the wood was actually Hainan rosewood, a material usually used for collectible art pieces; who would use such a large piece to make a dressing table?
She was about to ask Qi Yanzhou why he used such expensive materials when she suddenly noticed the storage box on top. Compared to the exquisite dressing table, this one seemed slightly inferior. Seeing the hand-carved marks on it, she suddenly remembered his fingers covered in bandages the day before yesterday. She immediately hugged it to her arms and ran to the kitchen.
"Teacher Qi, did you make this?"
Qi Yanzhou removed the lid from the pot, turned around, and looked her over with an uncertain expression: "Is it because you're ugly?"
"No." Song Chiyu's face lit up with excitement as she jumped in front of him and asked, "Answer me quickly."
"Yes, some of it was carved by me. If you don't like it, you can ask my master to redo it..."
"It's beautiful." Song Chiyu interrupted him impatiently, tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, Teacher Qi."
Before Qi Yanzhou could react, she had already left the kitchen, eager to share the storage box he had personally carved with Li Li.
His words were full of pride and smugness.
Qi Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh.
"I also had someone in Beijing make another dressing table," Qi Yanzhou mentioned during the meal.
"Why do so much?" Song Chiyu asked.
"Don't you need one in Beijing too?" Qi Yanzhou asked. "I see you have quite a lot of clothes, so we could make another walk-in closet. We also need to move to a bigger apartment here. If you're free this week, we can go look at some houses."
Song Chiyu hadn't expected him to add such a large sum of money. Although she knew he wasn't short of money, she didn't intend to squander it, since his actual salary wasn't much.
"No need, I don't have as many clothes as you think, and this is enough for the two of us. Haven't you heard that bedrooms should be small? That way, energy can be gathered."
She always had a way of comforting him.
Qi Yanzhou shook his head helplessly, "But if we buy a bigger one, it'll be more convenient for your mom and the others to come over..."
"You still want my mom and the others to live with us?" Song Chiyu immediately interrupted, "You... are you afraid they don't know what... what happened between you and me at night...?"
Qi Yanzhou was surprised that this was the first thing she thought of.
He thoughtfully suggested, "Could you try to keep your voice down?"
Song Chiyu kicked him.
"Then you should find a way to make me... lower my voice."
Qi Yanzhou was immediately amused.
Seeing that she was sure she didn't want to change rooms, he changed the subject, saying, "The shop I told you about before is all renovated now. Do you want to come with me to take a look later?"
"Okay." Anyway, she didn't have anything to do later, so going out for a stroll would be nice.
"Did you see what I posted on my WeChat Moments?" She was too embarrassed to show off to others, but when she faced him, she proudly awaited his praise.
He was instantly amused. "Of course I saw it. My WeChat Moments are full of you."
"Then why don't you hurry up and congratulate me?"
"Because I was afraid my congratulations wouldn't stand out enough among everyone else's, and it turned out that they were indeed the case, I also shared it on my WeChat Moments. Didn't you see it?" he asked, leaning closer to her.
"What?" Song Chiyu exclaimed in surprise, quickly opening his WeChat Moments. His previously blank Moments now displayed a repost from a public account: "Congratulations to the beautiful, lovely, generous, and always hardworking Ms. Song for winning the award."
It sounded like someone was asking about their relationship.
He also publicly replied in the comments section: "She is my wife."
Song Chiyu pursed her lips.
She hugged him while holding her phone.
Qi Yanzhou quietly enjoyed her embrace, without mentioning that Bai Ruisheng had called him on the first day of the competition. As one of the examiners, the researcher recognized her as Bai Ruisheng's apprentice as soon as he saw her restoration method, and was immediately surprised, because as far as the examiners knew, Bai Ruisheng did not have any apprentices who had entered this competition.
However, her skills did not come entirely from Bai Ruisheng, especially in the area that was Bai Ruisheng's weakness, which she handled better than Bai Ruisheng, and she did not seem like a first-time participant at all.
The researcher didn't believe he could train such a talented apprentice, so he called to ask where he found him.
Bai Ruisheng had been ridiculed and looked down upon by the mainstream because he had never taught any apprentices who could carry the torch. Now, after a lifetime of bending his back, he straightened up and proudly showed off to others.
Finally, she didn't forget to call Qi Yanzhou to share the news, worried that Song Chiyu might overthink it, and even told him not to tell her. The honor she received was earned through her own abilities; if she said it out loud, it would seem like she got it because of his reputation.
But if he were truly as famous as he is today, his apprentices wouldn't have failed to even make it to the finals.
Qi Yanzhou knew that these things complemented each other; even if you tried to cover your mouth, the knowledge of a mentor would still leak out through your skills. For example, the reason why Bai Ruisheng could handle the area that Bai Ruisheng wasn't good at so well was clearly because she had learned from others.
He understood better than anyone that in such a mainstream competition, those from reputable families would naturally be more respected. The parts of her that didn't resemble Bai Ruisheng were thus disregarded.
When Qi Yanzhou thought of this matter, Song Chiyu also thought of Lao Li. After all, Lao Li was someone she had called her master. She slowly raised her head from Qi Yanzhou's shoulder and said, "A few days ago, Lao Li called me, but I didn't answer. I don't know what he was thinking."
She didn't necessarily want him to handle it; she just wanted to try it out and get his opinion.
Without the slightest hesitation, he replied, "Never mind."
[Author's Note]
To all my followers, thank you again!! [Please][Please]
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