52 Clouds Open
◎“The scales in her heart finally tipped in his favor”◎
The feeling of liking her seems different from when she liked Xie Yunjin.
She used to enjoy competing with Xie Yunjin, wanting to see him bow down to her, determined to make him love her more than she loved him. But it wasn't like that with Qi Yanzhou. She just wanted him there, even if they didn't say anything, even if they were both busy with their own things in the same space, as long as she wanted to see him, she could see him immediately and get a clear response from him.
She didn't even dare to express her longing for Qi Yanzhou too explicitly.
It felt like we were back in the early days of dating, unable to resist trying to guess what the other person was thinking. Qi Yanzhou, with his personality, certainly wouldn't say anything, but nobody really knew what he was thinking.
Oh my god.
Song Chiyu realized she was trying to guess Qi Yanzhou's thoughts like a little girl, and she was so startled that she sat up straight in her chair. What was she doing? They had already gotten their marriage certificate and gone to sleep. Wasn't it too late to try to guess his thoughts now?
She forced herself to pull herself out of those thoughts.
Don't waste too much time and energy on Qi Yanzhou.
On Saturday, she went to Beijing for her studies as usual. However, after the studies were over, she did not go to see Qi Jianguo or stay at his house. Instead, she took the high-speed train that night and rushed back home.
Li Li hadn't seen her come home this often in a long time. "What on earth is your husband busy with? He hasn't come home yet."
Song Chiyu hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully: "Do you remember when I told you that I had a master when I was in Suzhou? He got into trouble in Anxi, and Qi Yanzhou helped him settle things."
"Xiao Qi is that capable?" Li Li was surprised, but then, thinking of the Qi family's four-courtyard house, she realized it was normal. "Is it troublesome?"
"He said it's not troublesome, it's just that there are too many people involved, and everyone wants to protect their own interests, so it's hard to figure things out for the time being. But it should be settled soon." According to Qi Yanzhou, at least everyone is still talking and there's no sign of overturning the table, which means there's not much of a problem.
"Oh dear," Li Li, an ordinary citizen herself, had never heard of such a thing before. "So what exactly does Xiao Qi's family do? Xiao Qi keeps saying they're in business, but what kind of business are they in?"
“Antiques.” Song Chiyu recalled the family situation of Qi Zhannan that Li Li had introduced before, “It’s similar to what you said before, except that his connections are even wider.”
"Can you be transferred to Beijing?" Li Li asked with concern.
Song Chiyu hadn't expected that she still remembered this matter. Thinking about what had happened recently, she tilted her head and said, "Life is unpredictable. Let's just see where we end up."
“That works too.” Li Li wasn’t in a hurry. “I think Xiao Qi is quite reliable. Luckily, you married Xiao Qi. He’s the kind of old-fashioned good man who can hold his own outside the home, treats his family well, and has high moral standards. Although his… stepmother seems more reliable than Hao Yufang, Xiao Qi can keep her in check, so there’s no problem. If you had really swallowed your pride and married Xiao Xie, I don’t know how many sleepless nights you would have had.”
Song Chiyu didn't understand Li Li's worries before, but now she does. She hugged Li Li and said coquettishly, "It's been so long, why are you still talking about it?"
"Oh dear, I'm getting old. I'm starting to think about the past." Li Li realized she had misspoke and waved her hand with a smile.
"Don't dwell on the past, look forward." Song Chiyu said, holding her hand. "Didn't I tell you before that I wanted to open a shop specializing in commercial restoration?"
"Ah," Li Li remembered telling her that Song Chiyu was unreliable and that she should keep the museum job unless absolutely necessary. Although it wouldn't make her rich, it would at least provide for her. She was just an ordinary person herself and didn't expect Song Chiyu to be very successful; having a job was good enough for her. "You opened it?"
"kindness."
"So, did you resign?" Li Li asked anxiously.
"No," Song Chiyu explained truthfully, "I originally wanted to resign, but then I ran into Teacher Qi—"
Then there were other solutions to this problem.
She seemed lost in thought for a moment, and Li Li asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"Teacher Qi told me not to quit my job, saying that since I'm really interested, I should try opening a shop first. I can just open it whenever I have time, since this industry doesn't rely on running a shop to make money anyway."
"Then what do we rely on?"
“It relies on connections and fame, but that’s difficult before you’re famous, so I’m learning from a teacher now,” Song Chiyu replied.
Li Li nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Song Chiyu stood up from the sofa and said, "Since we're free today anyway, I'll take you to have a look around, and we can browse the antique market while we're at it."
“Okay!” As long as Song Chiyu is willing to take her, Li Li is willing to go anywhere.
Song Chiyu stopped near the antique street and led Li Li inside. Li Li immediately liked the little shop; it had a particularly tranquil feel, and a ray of sunlight was shining in.
Li Li looked at the empty space by the door: "It would look nice if we put a few potted plants here."
“Yes,” Song Chiyu replied, “We also have a flower market, we can go and pick some out later.”
When Li Li heard that Song Chiyu had adopted her idea, she immediately became as happy as a little girl: "What are you going to put on these shelves inside?"
"I'll put some bracelets and wood carvings on the bottom floor, some handicrafts on top, some calligraphy and paintings on the opposite wall, and the wall behind me will hold the things I've restored." This is Song Chiyu's initial plan. As for what to do when there are more and more things in the future, she hasn't thought about it yet.
"Where do you get your goods from?"
Song Chiyu waved his hand: "Isn't Brother Yanzhou in the antique business? He also knows people who deal in cultural artifacts. After I choose the items, they will send them directly to me."
She mainly does commercial restoration, and these items are sold as a package deal.
She doesn't want to get involved in antiques; selling cultural artifacts is fine enough.
"How much money do you need to advance?"
Speaking of this, Song Chiyu was a little embarrassed: "I didn't pay a single penny out of my own pocket."
Because Qi Jianguo was a wealthy and powerful man wherever he went, after taking her to the antique supplier, he directly told the others that she should pay for all the goods she bought from him.
No wonder Qi Zhannan could say he'd find a wife to share his father's money.
Qi Jianguo was like that with the people around him. Sometimes, when he encountered someone like Qi Yanzhou who didn't appreciate his efforts, he would feel a little unhappy, as if he had a lot of energy but nowhere to use it.
“Well… their family is really quite wealthy.” Li Li had never heard of such people before: “But don’t take too much. This little bit of money is nothing to them, but if you report hundreds of thousands to them every month, they’ll jump out of their skins.”
Song Chiyu nodded.
With her business, earning a few hundred a month is nothing.
Li Li became happier and happier as she watched, and couldn't help but take a video and send it to the family group chat.
Everyone showered her with compliments, and Li Li beamed from ear to ear, constantly sending voice messages. Song Chiyu smiled along with her, seeing her happiness. Just then, a young man poked his head out and asked, "Hello, may I ask if this place can repair ancient books?"
Song Chiyu was caught off guard when she suddenly saw a guest arrive at the door.
The boy was also a little nervous, "When I saw the words 'antique restoration' on the photo, I thought..."
“Okay,” Song Chiyu snapped out of her daze and immediately adjusted her expression to appear more professional: “Did you bring it?”
"Hmm." The young boy took out an ancient book that was wrapped and sealed in layers from his bag. Before handing it to Song Chiyu, he asked her again to confirm, "Teacher, may I show you my qualifications and the ancient books I have restored?"
"Hmm." Song Chiyu first showed him her cultural relic restorer certificate, then her years of experience and awards. The boy was initially a little skeptical of her professionalism, but after discovering that she had won national awards, he swallowed hard: "Teacher, how much do you charge?"
He had previously seen a master craftsman with no experience charging 1,500 yuan.
Song Chiyu didn't notice his concerns. "Let me check the condition of the books first."
Seeing that she was talking about serious matters, Li Li quietly lowered her voice and stopped disturbing her.
The boy took out a rare Ming or Qing dynasty handwritten copy, which was relatively badly damaged, with only moderate signs of insect infestation and mold. She pondered for a moment: "One thousand?"
The boy's eyes lit up immediately, and he handed the ancient book to her and transferred part of the prepayment.
Song Chiyu left him her WeChat and contact information, agreeing to deliver the book within a week. After the boy left, Li Li approached him in surprise: "Wow, I didn't know restoring an ancient book was so expensive!"
Judging from the boy's reaction, she realized she must have shouted too low.
But she didn't take it to heart and sat down at the desk. Li Li was free anyway, and the beads that Song Chiyu had bought earlier had arrived. She opened the chopsticks and made two strings according to her own ideas.
Li Li is really skillful; Song Chiyu assigned the task to her after just one glance. After a busy day, the once empty shop suddenly came alive. Li Li said to herself, "Let's get a recliner, raise a cat, and not have to worry about rent. I've always wanted a shop like this when I was young. How about I come and help you with the shop when I'm free?"
"But this place is a bit far from our home."
"It's not far, I just took the bus here."
Song Chiyu never expected to make a profit.
Seeing how happy Lili was, he agreed and gave her a key to the small shop.
Song Chiyu took the ancient book home to continue repairing it, and before she knew it, it was ten o'clock at night. She hadn't even seen the message Qi Yanzhou sent her. She stretched, put the ancient book away, and then picked up her phone to check.
Are you asleep?
"Are you available to take this call now?" Song Chiyu asked.
Qi Yanzhou called, "Still not asleep?"
Upon hearing his voice, Song Chiyu couldn't help but jump for joy: "I'm repairing ancient books. Let me tell you, I went to the shop with my mom today..."
She kept talking and talking.
In her mind, this was a sign that he had some free time and could chat with her about trivial things.
Qi Yanzhou was indeed very patient, responding promptly to each of her sharing sessions, and only reluctantly hanging up the phone half an hour later.
I pushed open the door to the tea room again.
The man who truly owned the bronze plate also finished his call at that moment. Both men saw a tenderness on each other's faces, a warmth different from when they were talking to each other, and asked simultaneously, "Did you call your family?"
"Yes, for my wife," the two replied simultaneously.
The two of them immediately smiled knowingly.
Compared to the undercurrents before the phone call, both men seemed more relaxed now. The man sitting opposite them took the initiative to speak, "I had dealings with your nephew, Qi Zhannan, a long time ago."
Qi Yanzhou was not surprised; the man opposite him was named Qin Muyun.
In the antique world, he is known as Master Qin. The area south of the Huai River is all Master Qin's territory. He is a cold-hearted person, and his interactions with others are all for profit.
Legend has it that he always carried a string of twelve-eyed dzi beads with him, and seeing the beads was like seeing him. But now his hands were empty, and he didn't have any, so he returned the topic to the bronze plate.
The bronze plate was stolen from Qin Muyun. Out of gratitude, he didn't pursue the matter further, but unexpectedly, the theft eventually came back to him.
Qi Yanzhou was truly exhausted. He initially thought Wang Si's employer was the first buyer, but it turned out that Wang Si's employer had also bought stolen goods and couldn't produce any legal documentation. After several twists and turns, this situation had arisen.
The two leaders of the antique world, one from the north and one from the south, were suddenly brought together. The wolves who had been vying for the prize immediately wised up and stopped getting involved.
Qin Muyun was naturally no pushover either.
Both of them were people who didn't show their emotions, and neither could tell what the other was thinking. On the surface, they were amicable, but their words were full of undercurrents.
Neither side was willing to back down.
Until that phone call, the two found a common ground in their search for each other.
They all loosened their stance.
Upon learning that both parties wanted to end the matter and go home, they reached an unprecedented consensus and each took a step back without prior agreement.
Qin Muyun recalled the industry's previous assessment of the Qi family. Compared to the Qin family, with its impeccable lineage, the Qi family's rise to power had always been criticized, especially Qi Zhannan, who called himself "Master Qi" at the time. He was good for nothing but using the Qi family name to bully others, and even the antique dealers in the Northwest didn't buy into it. In his view, the so-called leader of the Northwest was already an empty shell, and the Qi family was nothing more than a centipede that was dead but not fallen.
But after meeting Qi Yanzhou today, he realized that the Qi family wasn't as bad as he had thought.
At least he saw a glimmer of hope in Qi Yanzhou.
Qi Yanzhou was even more detached than him, only showing a hint of warmth when mentioning his wife, making him seem like someone not worth getting close to.
Take himself as an example, a man who loves his wife is not much worse than others.
Therefore, he was willing to compromise and befriend Qi Yanzhou.
“Now it’s all returned to its rightful owner,” Qi Yanzhou said, not intending to have much contact with him. “Those buyers who purchased the stolen goods are now yours.”
"Okay, I'll handle this. What about yours over there..."
"I'll handle it."
The two immediately reached an agreement.
They agreed on the delivery location and time, and then left the tea room one after the other.
...
Zhou Yue didn't know how much money Qin Muyun had given, but it didn't seem like much.
Because Qi Yanzhou's expression remained indifferent, even revealing a hint of impatient anxiety, it must have ended on a sour note.
Zhou Yue didn't dare to ask any more questions.
The jackals and tigers waiting for the meat were terrified and dared not ask any questions. But no one knew that he had simply been out for too long.
Normally, this would be the time I would be sleeping with her.
As a result, she waited on the other end of the phone until now, and only after confirming that he was not busy did she dare to cautiously share her life.
"Call Wang Si and his group here." His impatience deepened, but it was cleverly concealed in the darkness, making it impossible to discern his true feelings. "Finish this quickly."
Zhou Yue assumed he was tired and didn't dare ask if it was now. He immediately agreed and made a call to someone else.
**
On Monday, Song Chiyu went to work as usual, only to hear the news that Xie Yunjin and that girl had started dating.
She was immediately startled: "So fast?"
He Zhu's face was full of excitement as she went along with the gossip: "I heard that the two of them were together at a dinner party yesterday. I heard that Teacher Xie had drunk too much and then agreed to it."
Song Chiyu's face showed only shock, like someone watching a melon, without any other emotion.
He Zhu became increasingly unrestrained: "I thought Teacher Xie would be so hard to pursue."
"I thought so too." But Song Chiyu could understand; he's not young anymore, and his family must be pressuring him to get married. "But it's good that he can find a girlfriend."
To avoid bothering her.
It solved a big problem for her.
Song Chiyu was a gossip, but she didn't dare let Xie Yunjin know anything about it, lest he think she still cared about him and have any inappropriate thoughts.
Xie Yunjin did indeed have this idea, wanting to use his own situation to provoke Song Chiyu, but all he got was Song Chiyu's indifference, which made him feel very bored. He then clarified the rumors in the courtyard.
So, in the morning he was saying that he and Teacher Wu were dating, and in the afternoon he heard the news that Teacher Wu's confession had been rejected.
The crowd, who had been watching the drama unfold, quieted down and stopped mentioning the matter in front of Teacher Wu.
Although Xie Yunjin has been busy lately, he still keeps an eye on Song Chiyu.
Song Chiyu had been noticeably down lately, clearly something had happened at home. Although he had already guessed that there was no future for him and Song Chiyu, he still couldn't bear to see her like this, so he called out to her as he was leaving work: "Has something been wrong with you lately?"
Song Chiyu was immediately startled. "No."
"Then why do I see that you seem distracted?"
Song Chiyu hadn't expected him to be so busy yet still have time to pay attention to her, and quickly changed the subject, saying, "That's because my husband hasn't been home these past few days, I..."
"Your husband isn't home?" Xie Yunjin's eyes lit up noticeably, then she realized her reaction was too obvious: "Where did he go?"
Seeing that his reaction was wrong, Song Chiyu stopped talking and walked forward.
Xie Yunjin persisted, saying, "Song Chiyu, your husband is just an ordinary third-level professor, but his influence in academia is questionable. But I'm different..."
What is a typical Level 3 professor?
Song Chiyu couldn't help but interrupt him, saying, "There's no difference. He's no less skilled than you in his own field of expertise."
Xie Yunjin naturally did not believe it.
"Don't rush to refute me, let me finish. I can advocate for you in academia—"
"No need, my husband knows just as much as you do, and if he studied archaeology, he would only surpass your achievements."
"What do you mean?" Xie Yunjin's expression changed drastically.
"That's what you heard." Song Chiyu knew that with Qi Yanzhou's knowledge and experience, he would surely achieve something in this field.
"Song Chiyu, do you think he would be better than me at archaeology?"
"Yes." Song Chiyu asked decisively.
Xie Yunjin never imagined that Song Chiyu would deny her professional abilities, and she took two steps back in disbelief.
She used to be the one who respected him the most, but now she dismissed him with just two sentences.
"You're rejecting me because of Qi Yanzhou?"
“I don’t want to deny you like this, but it’s wrong of you to belittle my husband like this.”
Xie Yunjin understood. She didn't really look down on him; she was just doing everything she could to protect her husband.
He was struck dumb: "You like him that much?"
"Yes." Her voice held an unusual firmness.
"He..." Xie Yunjin couldn't think of anything good about Qi Yanzhou, or perhaps she knew too well what was good about him, and suddenly she was filled with anger: "Isn't he just a little hoodlum who's read a bit more books? You're denying me for someone like that, Song Chiyu—"
"A petty thug?" Song Chiyu was truly angry, arguing with the crowd around him: "If it weren't for his help in Suzhou, Teacher Xie's project would have encountered countless more troubles. Is this how you define your colleague's benefactor?"
Xie Yunjin knew he had spoken out of turn, but he was unwilling to admit it. "Who knows if he's in cahoots with those people? Didn't you hear them all calling him Master Qi?"
"Didn't you hear a single word of the provincial cultural relics bureau's gratitude to him?"
"Who knows if he's already stolen from us once—"
"What nonsense are you talking about—"
The two argued more and more fiercely, and passersby who were just passing by rushed forward to stop them.
Xie Yunjin never imagined that Song Chiyu would argue with Qi Yanzhou in this kind of setting, especially knowing that she was such a proud person and still wanted to say something. Song Chiyu had already stormed off.
**
Back in the car.
Song Chiyu picked up her phone, found Qi Yanzhou's profile picture on WeChat, but hesitated to make the call.
She didn't know why she was so angry.
Xie Yunjin had said similar things before, but Song Chiyu had never found it so unbearable, wishing she could pry open Xie Yunjin's eyes and let him see just how good Qi Yanzhou really was.
Especially seeing Xie Yunjin's obvious joy upon hearing that her husband was not there.
It was as if they were gloating, which made Song Chiyu, who was already worried, even more anxious and agitated.
She controlled her emotions and returned home. Just as she was about to pretend nothing had happened and reach for her key, the door suddenly opened by itself. The person she had been longing for stood in the entryway, gazing at her tenderly and affectionately: "You're back?"
Song Chiyu instinctively let out a scream.
Then she realized it was real, not a dream, and a wave of grievance washed over her. She slowly hugged his waist and leaned against him, saying, "Why didn't you tell me you were back?"
Qi Yanzhou heard a distinct sobbing sound.
He couldn't help but lower his head: "You cried?"
"No." His question only made things worse; once he asked, tears streamed down his face like pearls falling from a broken string.
Li Li and Lao Song came out when they heard the noise.
"What's wrong, baby?"
Song Chiyu was even more embarrassed and turned her head to wipe her face hard.
Embarrassed, she walked into the bedroom, saying, "I said I didn't."
Qi Yanzhou gave Li Li and Lao Song a reassuring gesture, then followed Song Chiyu into the bedroom, gently closing the slightly ajar door: "Yes, she didn't cry, I must have been mistaken."
Song Chiyu then sat down on the edge of the bed and replied, half-heartedly, "Mm."
His eyes softened even more, but after the smile came more complex emotions—heartache, longing, and helplessness—which ultimately transformed into his hands around her waist. "What's wrong?"
After hesitating for a moment, Song Chiyu said, "You can't laugh at me."
"Yes." He certainly wouldn't laugh at her at this moment.
Song Chiyu recounted in detail how she and Xie Yunjin had argued in public because of him: "That's how it was."
Qi Yanzhou stared at her without saying a word.
Song Chiyu felt increasingly uncertain, but she forced herself to save face: "He doesn't understand you, so what right does he have to define you? I don't want to hear it, and I don't like it."
Qi Yanzhou suddenly burst out laughing.
Song Chiyu was startled. It was already embarrassing enough that she had argued with Xie Yunjin in public, but he had actually laughed. She shook off his hand and got up as if to leave.
"I'm sorry," Qi Yanzhou quickly took her hand and pulled her onto his lap, saying, "I was just a little happy to see the scales in your heart tilting so obviously towards me."
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