57. To have such a husband
◎“She felt a little bit of desire for him the moment she saw him.”◎
After observing for a period of time, Song Chiyu could roughly guess that the Qi family's main source of income, apart from their ancestors' savings, came from Qi Qingfang's family. Everyone else was dependent on this behemoth.
Those who depend on it can be divided into two types.
For example, Qi Yanzhou's second and third uncles knew that they were not capable enough and needed to rely on Qi Qingfang's family, so they were exceptionally polite to Qi Yanzhou and even particularly respectful to Song Chiyu.
The Qi Yanzhou family, on the other hand, felt that their abilities were no less than Qi Yanzhou's, and that Qi Yanzhou had stolen their chance to make money, so they openly and secretly opposed him.
Without knowing Qi Yanzhou, one might think he is ambitious and domineering, but with a little understanding, one realizes that it's not that he needs the Qi family, but rather that the Qi family needs him.
If no one prioritizes the family's interests anymore, and instead tries to line their own pockets, then this seemingly large family will not last more than a generation.
That's really difficult.
Song Chiyu knew she couldn't do it, which made her feel all the more sorry for him.
She got up and massaged his temples. He didn't let himself wallow in his emotions for too long, and gently held her fingers: "Do you know why I don't want children?"
"Why?"
"If everyone were like Qi Zhannan, I feel like I'd have everything I need for this lifetime."
Song Chiyu immediately burst out laughing.
His expression softened, and he took her arm, wrapped it around his neck, and forced her to lean down and hug him from behind.
"You're giving your nephew such a low opinion!" Song Chiyu said, speaking up for Qi Zhannan.
"After all, from the current perspective, children like Qi Zhannan are the norm in the Qi family, while someone like me... is more like an exception."
Song Chiyu heard a deep sense of helplessness.
But if someone else heard these words, they would definitely not say it that way.
She hesitated for a moment, then rested her face on his neck: "Why worry about things so far ahead? Just do your own thing."
Qi Yanzhou sensed her understanding, his smile deepened, and he gently patted the back of her hand: "Mm."
**
It took Song Chiyu a long time to learn that Qi Yanzhou's job wasn't actually that easy, but he turned down every job he could. Even when he first married her, knowing she wouldn't contact him, he stayed in Mingzhou, worried that one day she might suddenly need him.
Song Chiyu discovered all of this from snippets of information revealed by others. He never mentioned these things in front of her, and he followed his routine every day, returning home on time to cook, without ever mentioning the difficulties he faced at work.
Song Chiyu also knew the reason why others said these things to her. It wasn't to let her know how good Qi Yanzhou was to her, but rather how much Qi Yanzhou had sacrificed for her and how many opportunities for promotion he had given up.
However, Song Chiyu felt that the people who said these things were underestimating Qi Yanzhou.
After observing him for so long, her most obvious feeling was that his heart wasn't in this industry. He was in it purely out of interest, but she had never seen him passionate about anything. He always seemed indifferent to everything.
On Wednesday, Song Chiyu and He Zhu went to the School of History and Literature at Cheng'an University for work. After finishing their work, He Zhu learned from others that Qi Yanzhou was teaching a class, so she dragged Song Chiyu to watch.
Not wanting to disturb him during his work hours, Song Chiyu pulled He Zhu away.
However, He Zhu was determined to go, and Song Chiyu couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she could only follow her to the back door for a peek. Actually, she was also very curious about what Qi Yanzhou's lectures were like, but as soon as she stood there, Qi Yanzhou saw her.
Not realizing how upright he looked at that moment, Song Chiyu felt a sense of déjà vu, like when she was a child and had been caught doing something wrong by her teacher. She pulled He Zhu away.
He Zhu was puzzled.
Soon, Qi Yanzhou sent a WeChat message: "Why are you running?"
"You look too serious, it's a little scary."
Qi Yanzhou chuckled, "I'm not being mean to you."
The others in the classroom were startled to see him smile, but his cool and handsome face immediately turned serious again, and the people around him who had just breathed a sigh of relief immediately became anxious again.
"Professor Song, the food is so good." He Zhu exclaimed with just a quick glance, "I heard that your husband's classes are particularly good. Even the teachers in our department who attended them praised them highly and said they wanted to eavesdrop."
"Do you really want to attend class, or do you just want to see handsome guys?" Song Chiyu bluntly exposed her.
"Aren't you afraid of him?" Song Chiyu didn't care about such things, after all, everyone has a love for beauty.
"Hmm?" He Zhu had never met him before, and her impression of him came from Song Chiyu: "He's alright. I think Teacher Qi is quite gentle in front of you."
Song Chiyu did not deny it.
He Zhu, as if thinking of something again, suddenly nudged her with her elbow, "By the way, have you ever worried that Teacher Qi might succumb to temptation and cheat on you?"
“There’s no use worrying about this, is there?” Song Chiyu replied.
"Wouldn't that make me feel very insecure?"
Song Chiyu shook her head.
He Zhu was startled: "Why?"
Song Chiyu thought for a moment, "Because he gave me a lot of security."
Upon learning that Qi Yanzhou had prioritized his family after marrying her, He Zhu couldn't help but feel a pang of envy: "How wonderful! With such a husband, what more could a wife ask for?"
Song Chiyu smiled in agreement.
He Zhu then asked, "Is Teacher Qi worried that you'll cheat on him? After all, your ex doesn't seem like someone to be trifled with."
I would have been worried before.
Song Chiyu thought about it seriously and said, "It shouldn't be like that now. He's already being sensible enough not to bother me anymore."
"That's good, otherwise it would really be causing you trouble," He Zhu sighed.
When Song Chiyu returned home that evening, she realized that one shouldn't speak too definitively.
As soon as he got back, Qi Yanzhou told her about his trip to investigate. He seemed very reluctant, but he couldn't refuse.
Where should we go for the inspection?
Qi Yanzhou named a place, a temple in Tibet, a sparsely populated area, not much different from the place she had been in Suzhou before.
"How long will it take?" Song Chiyu asked.
About a week.
“That’s not a long time,” Song Chiyu replied truthfully.
He raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to her: "Not long?"
Song Chiyu suddenly realized she had said the wrong thing, "But it's been a long time, when are you leaving?"
"tomorrow."
"So soon?" Song Chiyu finally showed a hint of reluctance. His expression softened slightly as he gently stroked her face in response.
"What are you going to bring with you?" She stood up, seemingly about to pack his luggage.
Qi Yanzhou grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. "So urgent?"
"Otherwise what?" Song Chiyu sat on his lap, puzzled, and asked, "When are we going to clean up?"
Qi Yanzhou licked his lips meaningfully, gently pinched her cheek, and said, "Don't you feel even a little bit reluctant to part with me?"
Song Chiyu then realized what he was worried about, and took the initiative to wrap her arms around his waist: "I'm reluctant, but I can't let it interfere with your work."
It was more like she was being considerate of him.
Qi Yanzhou smiled and gently rubbed her face with his knuckles.
Song Chiyu continued to comfort him, saying, "If I show that I'm too reluctant to part with you, wouldn't that just add to your psychological burden? Don't worry about me, I'll just go back to live with my parents."
Qi Yanzhou lowered his eyelids slightly, seemingly lost in thought, but a hint of dissatisfaction lingered in his expression. He said nothing, releasing his grip on her hand and saying, "Go."
What do you need to prepare?
"You can clean it up as you see fit." Qi Yanzhou helped her up and carried the dishes and chopsticks on the table toward the kitchen.
Song Chiyu didn't take it too seriously. She dragged out his suitcase from the balcony and started packing it for him according to her own ideas. Qi Yanzhou's resentment at being treated the same as everyone else was instantly soothed when he saw this scene. He felt a deep reluctance and hugged her from behind.
Song Chiyu, unsuspecting, continued to take his coat from the wardrobe.
"The weather there changes quite a bit. You should bring plenty of warm clothes with you."
"I'll take you there." He held her hand and gently kneaded it.
Song Chiyu sensed something and turned her head in surprise: "You can't bear to part with me?"
"kindness."
Song Chiyu rarely felt this kind of emotion from Qi Yanzhou, and she smiled incredulously, pursing her lips.
"What are you laughing at?" Qi Yanzhou asked.
"You've changed." She could see his emotions.
Qi Yanzhou did not deny it.
Song Chiyu turned around to coax him, gently pinching his cheek and saying, "Aren't you coming back in a few days?"
"Mmm." But he still couldn't bear to part with her, his eyes unconsciously falling on her lips.
"How come I never realized you were so clingy before?" Song Chiyu teased.
"Mmm." He lowered his head, wrapped his arms around the back of her neck, and kissed her lips.
She clenched her fist and unconsciously pushed him on the shoulder.
He pulled her closer, his kiss deepening. Song Chiyu had to push him away. "When are you leaving tomorrow?"
"The flight was at six in the morning."
"What?" Song Chiyu calculated the time: "Then we'd have to get up at four in the morning?"
"More or less."
How could he possibly be in the mood to kiss her here?
Song Chiyu immediately became anxious, helping him pack his things while giving him instructions. After enjoying her concern for a while, Qi Yanzhou took the things from her hands, saying, "I'll do it, go and do your work."
He was indeed not someone she needed to worry about, and he quickly packed his suitcase neatly.
Meanwhile, he received a call from the other end of the line. Song Chiyu wisely refrained from disturbing him and went to wash up first. As usual, after cleaning the house, he emptied the refrigerator, throwing away everything that could be thrown away and asking her to take the rest home the next day.
Looking at his figure standing against the light by the door, Song Chiyu felt a mix of emotions and turned away to respond.
Without giving it much thought, he went back to the balcony to tidy up the clothes. Song Chiyu lay on the bed, listening to his busy work, but couldn't fall asleep despite having her eyes closed.
Nearly two hours later, he finally finished showering and lay down in bed.
He thought she was asleep, so he tiptoed past her and turned off the light on her side. Just as he was about to lie back down as usual, she suddenly turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Qi Yanzhou was suddenly embraced, his arms pressing against her heaving chest.
"What's wrong?"
"It's not like I'm not coming over, why did you clean so thoroughly?"
Qi Yanzhou was taken aback.
She lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist, forcing him to bend down. "You're leaving tomorrow, why aren't you coming over to sleep? What are you cleaning up for?"
He then realized what she was unhappy about and immediately burst out laughing.
She deliberately nuzzled against him, coquettishly saying, "Don't laugh."
He lowered his head and kissed her neck, asking in a deep voice, "Do you want it?"
I don't actually want it that much.
I just thought he'd be gone for a week, so I figured I might as well take the opportunity.
She did not deny it.
He casually touched the buttons of her pajamas and kissed her neck. Soon, she propped up one leg and began to speak softly without realizing it.
He sighed silently.
He hugged her even tighter.
"Chi Yu".
She didn't hear it.
His high, straight nose pressed against her collarbone, and he gently bit her cheek. She immediately let out a coquettish cry, her slender white legs involuntarily kicking him.
"They call me every day."
"Tell me whatever happens. Don't be afraid to bother me. Even if I'm not here, I'm still your husband, you know?"
She couldn't resist biting his earlobe.
"How domineering, Master Qi."
He did not deny it.
He continued kissing along her skin, saying, "I can't help it, I'm used to worrying. If you don't tell me anything, it makes me feel uneasy."
"knew."
His nose traced along her ribs, down to her lower abdomen, and finally touched the skin of her thigh.
Realizing what he was about to do, Song Chiyu cupped his face in embarrassment, "No, it will..."
Before she could finish speaking, he had already grabbed her wrist, pushed aside her resistance, and kissed her.
She bit her lip hard, her legs, which were draped over his shoulders, involuntarily pulled together, and finally she let out a sound through her teeth.
His high, straight nose brushed against the soft skin.
The lips gently sucked.
No matter how many times, this person never gave her a perfunctory answer.
He had a few water stains on his face, but they didn't bother him at all; he even stuck out his tongue and licked them.
Her face was flushed and burning hot; she was completely captivated by the scene.
The thought of him stirred his emotions. Sensing her arousal, he lifted one of her legs, held her waist, and said, "Baby, it's too...."
She didn't care what he said and eagerly kissed his lips.
She didn't tell him that she had a slight crush on him the first time she saw him at the coffee shop, but since he didn't seem like the type to be particularly interested, she didn't mention it.
She deliberately sat on his waist, as if she wanted to swallow him whole, and moved her waist forcefully.
He stared into her eyes with obvious fascination.
She had her back to him and placed her hands on his waist and abdomen.
He followed her long hair that fell around her waist to the hollow of her lower back, knelt up, and pressed his palm against the hollow, forcing her to kneel down with her back arched.
...
Song Chiyu's legs went weak and she collapsed against his chest.
He gently kissed the top of her head, all her reluctance revealed in their intimacy just now. He stroked her hair contentedly, showing no intention of picking her up for a long time.
She took a moment to recover, then leaned on his chest to get up, but he held her waist and pulled her back down.
Song Chiyu asked in confusion, "Brother, it's eleven o'clock. If you don't go to sleep now, you won't be able to sleep for much longer."
"I'm not going to sleep," he replied, his eyelids slightly lowered.
Song Chiyu didn't believe him and tapped his forehead: "Are you crazy? You're going to the plateau. If you don't get enough rest, you'll die."
“Come with me.”
Song Chiyu kissed him on the cheek as if she hadn't heard him. "Okay, go to sleep first. If you still want to do it when you wake up tomorrow, then we can do it again before you leave, okay?"
Sensing her care and indulgence, he finally relented and nodded gently, "Okay."
The next day, when Song Chiyu woke up, he was already gone.
She didn't even know when he left, which shows how quietly he left, so quietly that even the alarm clock didn't wake her. Nevertheless, there was still breakfast kept warm in a pot in the kitchen.
She smiled knowingly, but then a sense of indescribable loneliness welled up in her heart.
But she quickly swallowed her emotions, picked up her breakfast as if nothing had happened, and walked outside.
**
After Song Chiyu returned to the cafeteria for breakfast, He Zhu immediately guessed that her husband wasn't home and there was no one to make breakfast.
The way she said that made it sound like she couldn't live without Qi Yanzhou.
Song Chiyu explained, "I just didn't want to go through that trouble."
He Zhu was skeptical and did not investigate further.
Xie Yunjin, however, overheard their conversation, glanced at her indifferently, and then, taking advantage of the others' absence at noon, casually asked her, "Where did your husband go if he's not home?"
"What does this have to do with you?" Song Chiyu said, dissatisfied.
"What if he doesn't come back?" Xie Yunjin asked, half-jokingly.
Song Chiyu paused for a moment, then moved forward with the crowd in front of her. "Can't you say something nice?"
“Be realistic,” Xie Yunjin replied, “wouldn’t that give me a chance?”
"What chance do you have?" Song Chiyu pretended not to know.
Xie Yunjin did not answer, and parted ways with her after getting the food.
He Zhu, ever the gossip, called out to her, "What did Teacher Xie say to you this time?"
"It's nothing, just work-related."
He Zhu was greatly disappointed: "I thought he hadn't forgotten you yet."
Song Chiyu smiled but didn't say anything.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. Apart from receiving a call from Qi Yanzhou on the first day, he had been out of contact ever since. Every day, there was either no signal or no one answered.
Even so, she still has to call him every day.
Song Chiyu knew he was busy and the signal wasn't very good, so she didn't argue with him.
Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, and the weather is gradually getting cooler.
Apart from Song Chiyu, no one else took it to heart, and everyone unanimously felt that he had his reasons for doing so. At first, Song Chiyu wasn't so uncomfortable, but the longer time went by, the more she missed him. Besides staying at his apartment, she even went to the antique street to look for Zhou Yue, trying to find traces of him in the city.
But Zhou Yue wasn't there either.
Aside from the occasional trace of his past work at his workplace, he seemed to have vanished from the city. All the previous warmth was just her illusion.
Although he contacted her every day afterward, it was too infrequent, leaving her feeling empty inside.
She couldn't help but want to connect with him, and even went back to the courtyard house in Beijing on the weekend. Fortunately, the Qi family didn't have as many ulterior motives as she did. Even though Qi Yanzhou wasn't there, they naturally accepted her and didn't make her feel out of place or distant.
Seeing that she often stayed alone in the study, her two aunts tried to find topics to chat with her about.
Most of them are about Qi Yanzhou's childhood.
He was seen as serious and boring by most people.
Even as a child, he lacked any childlike innocence and instead appeared prematurely aged.
Qi Zhannan didn't notice that she was in a lower mood than usual, and with Qi Yanzhou not around, he spoke to her even more casually.
The other people in the courtyard also indulged him, acting like "when the cat's away, the mice will play."
Every time Song Chiyu saw Qi Zhannan's lawless behavior, she missed Qi Yanzhou even more.
Another week passed, coinciding with National Day. Upon learning that he wouldn't be returning, she immediately booked a flight to that destination. Qi Jianguo and his two aunts, worried about this, asked Qi Zhannan to go with them.
Qi Zhannan was unwilling, but Qi Jianguo coaxed and tricked him into agreeing.
Song Chiyu was also unwilling, but the area was remote and there was indeed a risk for her as a girl, so she had no choice but to agree.
With Qi Yanzhou absent, Qi Zhannan immediately adopted his "Master Qi" attitude.
Besides a few close friends, the group included Hei Zi, the driver they had met in Suzhou. Everyone addressed Qi Zhannan as "Master Qi," which made him act all high and mighty, even disregarding Song Chiyu, his actual "Master Qi's wife."
The girl accompanying his cronies sized up Song Chiyu: "Master Qi, who is this?"
“My second aunt,” Qi Zhannan replied truthfully.
This old-fashioned title immediately drew a hint of disdain from the fashionable and beautiful girl.
Behind Song Chiyu's back, he complained, "No wonder he doesn't fit in; it turns out he's from a different generation than everyone else."
The other girls nodded in agreement.
I will neither get close to her nor isolate her.
The route from the city to where Qi Yanzhou was located was through the snowy plateau, but fortunately the altitude wasn't too high, far from the point of oxygen deficiency. Despite his carefree attitude, Qi Zhannan didn't forget his business when he heard others stopping several times to check off tourist attractions. He directly let Song Chiyu get into his and Hei Zi's car, and let the others get into another girl's car.
He and Hei Zi took her there first.
Qi Zhannan remained adamant, "Have you contacted my second uncle? I called him, but he didn't answer."
Song Chiyu replied truthfully, "I sent him a message, but he didn't reply. It's very likely he doesn't know we're going."
Qi Zhannan licked his lips. "Then let's wait until we get in touch with my second uncle before we go over."
Song Chiyu asked, puzzled, "Why?"
“He couldn’t have dragged this out for no reason. If he has something else going on over there, it wouldn’t be good for us to disturb him.”
"What's up?"
Qi Zhannan did not answer.
Song Chiyu couldn't help but say, "Qi Zhannan, stop pretending. Get to the point, or just spit it out."
Qi Zhannan glanced at the black-clad woman in front of him and quietly tugged at her coat: "There are outsiders here, give me some face."
"Face?" Song Chiyu sneered, "Even if you go to see your second uncle like this, you still won't have any."
"Oh dear, what's wrong with me?" Qi Zhannan said with dissatisfaction, "I'm helping you so much, shouldn't you say a few good words to my second uncle? Why do you want me to lose face?"
"Let's get down to business," Song Chiyu said impatiently.
“I think he must have been held up by something, otherwise it wouldn’t have taken so long.” He licked his lips. “You mean, my second uncle…”
Song Chiyu waited patiently for him to continue.
He took a breath: "What could possibly hold us back?"
Song Chiyu: "..."
How would she know?
"Given the business acumen of your Qi family, what could possibly hinder him?"
Qi Zhannan glanced furtively ahead, then leaned closer to her and said, "Do you think my second uncle has met his true love over there and doesn't want to come back?"
Song Chiyu: "..."
She was sure he was teasing her, and asked with a smile, "What? Doesn't he look like his true love to me?"
Qi Zhannan looked her over very carefully. "Almost."
"You better pray he hasn't met his true love, or I'll rip your tongue out."
[Author's Note]
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