60 Gentle surrender
◎"Absence makes the heart grow fonder"◎
As Song Chiyu's emotions gradually calmed down, she belatedly realized that the person beside her had slowly stepped out of his embrace.
He touched her sheepskin coat. "Are you cold?"
Song Chiyu shook her head.
On the contrary, his windbreaker fluttered in the lakeside wind. "Are you cold?"
"I'm fine," he answered truthfully, and only after confirming that she was safe and sound did he turn around and walk towards the group behind him.
Qi Zhannan was shocked to find himself so insignificant in his father's eyes. Pointing at himself in disbelief, he said, "Second Uncle, me too..."
Qi Yanzhou had regained his composure and immediately shut his mouth.
Qi Yanzhou invited Sixth Master into the tent.
Zhou Yue stepped forward and greeted her, "Sister-in-law."
Song Chiyu sighed in relief, "I went to your shop before, but I couldn't find you. I thought you'd gone somewhere. If I'd known you were with him, I wouldn't have been so worried."
Zhou Yue never expected that he was so reliable in Song Chiyu's heart. He couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. "Oh, sister-in-law, what are you saying? It's only right."
Song Chiyu was telling the truth. After all, they had managed to deal with Qi Yanzhou in that situation back in the village, which showed that she was quite capable.
"What are you and your Uncle Qi busy with this time?" Song Chiyu asked curiously.
His eyes darted away. "Ask Master Qi. I'll follow his arrangements."
Song Chiyu, unusually, noticed a hint of avoidance and glanced indifferently at the tent not far away.
Su Jiacheng also walked over at this moment, tugging at Zhou Yue's coat and saying, "You're the older sister, right?"
"Not sister, sister-in-law," Zhou Yue corrected seriously.
"What sister-in-law? Isn't she older than me?" Qi Zhannan didn't give Su Jiacheng a friendly look because of other people's speculations. "Call her 'Grandma'."
Su Jiacheng noticed his displeasure and hid even further back.
Zhou Yue pulled his coat back and started joking with Qi Zhannan without restraint, while Xiao Hei stood beside him, not daring to breathe. Ever since the real Master Qi appeared, even Hei Zi had become much smaller.
Besides Zhou Yue, there were also several men she had met in Suzhou.
Entrusted by Qi Jianguo, they would occasionally send her things. Now that they met again, they were quite familiar with each other and greeted her generously, "Sister-in-law."
Song Chiyu walked to a chair by the fire and sat down. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long, four or five days, I guess." The man, afraid of saying the wrong thing, unconsciously turned to the person next to him for help. Another man, who was good at defusing situations, took the initiative to explain: "When Brother Yue was collecting the goods here, he heard their conversation and contacted Master Qi. Then he found out that this matter was more complicated than he had imagined, so he sent us over. Sister-in-law, don't worry, we know what we're doing."
Song Chiyu had no intention of making things difficult for anyone; she was just too tense and found it hard to relax for a moment.
Leaning back in his chair, he let out a long sigh of relief. "It's alright, you guys go ahead and do your work, I'll lie down for a bit."
"Have you eaten?" the man asked. "Would you like some lamb skewers?"
Song Chiyu wasn't in the mood, but Qi Zhannan came up to her and said, "Eat up, bring out what you have to grill."
Qi Yanzhou and his group stayed in the tent for almost half an hour before coming out.
After they came out, Qi Yanzhou's first words were to tell them to pack their things and follow the other group. Song Chiyu didn't say anything and walked straight towards the car they had been in. Qi Yanzhou grabbed her wrist from behind and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to get on the bus?"
“Get in my car.” He turned his back, took her hand, and walked back towards the campsite in the center of the lake.
Which one do you like?
On one side is the tranquil Sacred Lake, and on the other is the turbulent Devil's Lake. The sacred mountain standing in the middle takes in all things. Song Chiyu replied truthfully, "Each has its own merits."
"If I really have to choose one?"
She stood facing the sacred lake, but in the end, she couldn't help but turn towards the devil's lake. "I like them both."
The old-fashioned sheepskin coat fluttered in the wind.
Stray hairs were blown down onto her eyebrows and eyes.
"Then I'll take pictures of them all." He picked up his phone and turned on selfie mode.
Song Chiyu, seeing her own reflection on the screen, asked, "Isn't there a beauty filter?"
“I’ll download it for you,” he said, switching back to the home screen, only to find there was no network connection, so he had to switch back to shooting mode. “Go back and download it.”
Song Chiyu chuckled to herself.
Staring at the photo on his screen, she asked, "Do you think this is nice?"
“It’s beautiful,” he said, gazing at it intently.
The tents were packed up, and all the indiscriminate trash on the ground was taken away.
The fire died down, and the surrounding area returned to its desolate, uninhabited state. After getting into the car, Song Chiyu looked out the windshield and asked, "Why are we waiting here?"
"Few people, easy to find."
Song Chiyu tacitly accepted this answer.
Qi Yanzhou leaned back in the back seat, put his arm around her waist, and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
From the moment she saw him, she appeared aloof and preoccupied.
"Still worried about me?" He couldn't help but move closer to her earlobe.
The warmth of the breath on her cheek brought her back to her senses.
She raised her head and denied it, saying, "No."
"What are you thinking about?" He pulled her face close and gazed at her tenderly. "I'm afraid you're overthinking things."
Song Chiyu glanced at Zhou Yue in the driver's seat and the man in the passenger seat.
He pursed his lips, not quite knowing how to speak, when his lips landed on hers. The cool pine scent mingled with the rich, pure Tibetan incense, exuding a serene and profound tranquility that seemed both earthly and otherworldly.
He had spent too much time in the temple, and his clothes and hair were stained with the smell of smoke and fire.
She instinctively returned his kiss, but then, remembering the people in the car, she pushed him away and mouthed, "Are you crazy?"
He chuckled to himself.
He closed his eyes again, pulled her head back, and kissed her lips.
The two people in front heard the silence in the back and instinctively turned around, only to immediately see Qi Yanzhou's sharply defined profile and his long, flat eyelashes.
Neither of them had ever seen him so emotional.
Zhou Yue was so startled that he shook the steering wheel, which was about to veer towards the lake. The man next to him quickly steadied the steering wheel and they exchanged a glance, still shaken.
Both of them thought they were seeing things, and simultaneously looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror. Unexpectedly, they met Qi Yanzhou's ambiguous smile and immediately looked away, not daring to look back again.
Song Chiyu covered her face with her hands and buried her face in his chest, wishing she could hide her whole body in his arms.
After confirming that the two people in front of him wouldn't dare to peek anymore, he lowered his head and tried to kiss her again, but she covered her lips and pushed him away.
He leaned down and whispered in her earlobe, "Did you miss me?"
Song Chiyu was surprised that he had changed so much after so long. He was really shameless and responded in a barely audible voice.
"Then why are you ignoring me?"
"No." She was completely insincere, just giving him a perfunctory answer.
His hand reached past her coat and pinched her slender waist: "It's been so long, don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
Song Chiyu raised her head as if begging for mercy: "There are people ahead."
"It's okay, they won't dare to listen."
"We'll talk about it when we get back." Song Chiyu pulled away from his embrace, but he pulled her back into his arms and rested his head on her shoulder as if no one else was around. "Mm."
Everyone on the bus was harboring their own secrets, and hardly anyone spoke.
Qi Yanzhou and the other party agreed to enter the mountains tomorrow. Today, they returned to the small town they had met before. Both sides were wary of each other, and no matter where they went, the other side had people following them.
Even when staying in a hotel, everyone is wary of each other, and at the slightest sound, they immediately check each other's movements through the peephole.
Song Chiyu had never met such a partner before, and tried her best to maintain a facade of peace.
During the meal, Su Jiacheng quietly sat down next to her and asked tremblingly, "Knowing that Teacher Qi is this kind of person, aren't you afraid?"
"What kind of person?" Song Chiyu asked, puzzled.
She didn't say it outright, but glanced at Lao Liu's men and the group of men from Suzhou, answering with her eyes: That's exactly the kind of people they are.
Song Chiyu couldn't explain to her that her admiration and affection were for Qi Yanzhou as a professor, not for the real him.
She put down her chopsticks. "Well, and then?"
"Don't you think... his current appearance is too different from what we imagined?"
“Just say ‘you,’ don’t use ‘we,’” Song Chiyu disliked dealing with antique dealers, entirely to avoid suspicion, and didn’t believe that everyone in the industry was only after profit. “Qi Yanzhou saved you, didn’t he?”
Su Jiacheng hadn't expected her to bring this up. She nodded and replied truthfully, "He and Brother Yue happened to be driving by. I recognized him and asked him for help. He then had Brother Yue tow my car out. I was originally planning to drive back, but my GPS malfunctioned. To avoid any further complications, I had to follow them until they resolved the situation and we went back together."
I never expected they would be so busy with this kind of thing.
It doesn't seem like a good thing.
"Are you scared now?" As the temperature in the room gradually rose, Song Chiyu took off her sheepskin coat, revealing a modified, fitted black Tibetan robe with a diagonal lapels underneath. The braid that had been draped over her shoulders was now casually tied behind her head, exuding an indescribable charm. Even the stray hairs that fell to the tip of her nose seemed to have a unique allure. "Are you worried that they might really do something outrageous and affect your future?"
Su Jiacheng disliked her way of speaking, as if she were just a mortal being and Su Jiacheng was some fearless saint.
Aren't you afraid?
"Am I not like them?" Song Chiyu raised an eyebrow.
Her arched eyebrows, resembling distant mountains, exuded a cold and aggressive beauty.
Su Jiacheng considered herself a pretty girl in her original circle, but when she saw Song Chiyu in front of her, she felt a rare sense of inferiority.
When Song Chiyu heard her use the excuse of a malfunctioning navigation system to follow Qi Yanzhou, she guessed what she was thinking. However, Song Chiyu herself had been through that age, so she didn't bring it up, ultimately saving face for both of them.
Song Chiyu simply looked at her.
Just because Song Chiyu doesn't care now doesn't mean she won't care in the future. If Su Jiacheng remains so stubborn, she shouldn't blame him for being ruthless.
Su Jiacheng's eyes darted away, her face burning hot. "You don't look like it."
"Does Teacher Qi look like him?" Song Chiyu also looked away. "After all, you can't judge a book by its cover, right?"
The phrase "you can't judge a book by its cover" completely stumped Su Jiacheng.
I had a feeling that she was implying something, so she moved away from the seat next to Song Chiyu without saying anything.
Zhou Yue sat next to him, glanced at it, and then looked away.
She had no intention of explaining things to Qi Yanzhou and Su Jiacheng on their behalf.
After everyone had dinner, they bought some things at a nearby supermarket and then returned to the hotel.
Upon entering the room, the heating turned on automatically; despite it being October, the temperature difference between day and night was already significant. Song Chiyu had walked rather quickly and was now panting heavily. Qi Yanzhou knelt on one knee, handing her the connected oxygen tube, his eyes filled with concern.
"Are you alright?" He gently stroked her hair.
"Qi Yanzhou, what are you planning to do?" She had been holding back all the way, but now that everything was quiet, she finally couldn't hold back anymore.
It was not Yanzhou, not Teacher Qi, and certainly not the polite but unfamiliar Mr. Qi.
Instead, it's a clear distinction made by using both the given name and surname.
Qi Yanzhou rested one hand on his knee and chuckled, "What did you think I was going to do?"
“You knew what they were here for, but instead of calling the police, you waited for them to come and ask you to cooperate.” She stared at him gently yet sharply.
He gazed at her tenderly, without answering.
“Don’t try to lie to me,” she knew he was essentially a businessman, and that he would only go to such lengths if there was something to gain from the situation. “Did you decide from the beginning that you wanted to profit from this?”
He still did not answer.
She took a deep breath and said, "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."
“There is no default,” he said gently, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at the oxygen tube at the tip of her nose. “Speak slowly.”
Song Chiyu closed her eyes, reminding herself not to be deceived by appearances. "Do you think that as long as you're not involved in this matter, what they do is none of your business? I know you're capable of profiting without breaking the law, but the law is only the bare minimum constraint on people. They are illegally infringing on state-owned cultural relics."
"Are you so sure that what they dug up was definitely a cultural relic?"
"Otherwise what?" They are tomb raiders, what else would they dig for if not cultural relics?
“Artifacts aren’t that easy to find,” Qi Yanzhou replied. “I just heard them mention a civilization that I’m very interested in, but there’s no historical record of it. The last time this civilization was mentioned was in a British explorer’s diary. I want to know if this civilization really exists, and whether it was as glorious as the legends say. Zhou Yue wanted to profit from the beginning, but he definitely wouldn’t do anything illegal or disorderly. Don’t be fooled by how fierce those people look; they don’t actually make much money. I don’t want to send anyone to jail unless it’s absolutely necessary. The Qi family is, after all, the ones who can turn back from their ways. If they really can’t, then we’ll talk about calling the police. Besides, with their abilities, they can’t even find out the exact location of the blood vessel; what’s there to be afraid of?”
What he said made perfect sense, but Song Chiyu always felt that things weren't so simple.
He removed the oxygen tube with some skepticism: "Anyway, if I find out that everything you said was a lie, I... I'm not going to be friends with you anymore."
He didn't speak.
Song Chiyu's eyes were firm, but her tone was cautious: "I will divorce you."
He gently raised the corners of his lips and touched her hair. "No."
Having received his clear answer, Song Chiyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and softened her tone, "Go take a shower, I'll tidy up."
"Hmm." He watched her get up, slowly take off her coat, and walk towards the bathroom.
She said she was going to tidy up, but as soon as he entered the bathroom, she lay down on the bed and didn't move.
Quietly reflecting on what he had said to her, she realized that the Qi family had always been controversial in the eyes of outsiders, but all she saw was how he was trying to dispel those controversies.
What if she can't see it?
Qi Zhannan's statement, "Whether they take the legitimate path or the black market, they all have to follow Qi Jianguo's path," was he exaggerating, or was there something about the Qi family that she couldn't understand?
But then she remembered Qi Yanzhou's previous attitude towards Qi Si.
He forbids anyone from getting anything bad off the Qi family. Could it be that the Qi family also has something they're hiding from him, something they're not doing in the light of day?
Song Chiyu's head was spinning, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep on her side with her arm on her back.
Qi Yanzhou stepped out of the bathroom and saw her graceful figure under her Tibetan robe. Thick leggings were already draped over the sofa, revealing her fair and slender calves.
He had long known that she was a person of high moral character and self-discipline.
Otherwise, given her long-standing relationship with Xie Yunjin, she would never have failed to find an opportunity for him. She had a clear line in her mind: she was married, and regardless of whether she loved her current husband or not, she would not cross that line.
In a sense, they are exactly the same people when it comes to self-discipline.
However, on the level of social morality, they are completely different people. From the time she was born, she was in a relatively simple environment. The worst thing she had ever seen was a colleague tripping her up at work. She had a black-and-white idealism about the world. On the other hand, his environment had too many things to weigh. Some things could only be blocked, not allowed to pass, which would only make the problems accumulate. All he could do was to stick to the iron line of the law and make everyone satisfied within the allowed scope.
He knew she wouldn't like this kind of environment.
So knowing she wanted to do commercial restoration, we just let her give it a try.
Both seem like repairs, but the environments they face are vastly different. He understands and respects her decision, but today she actually said the word "divorce" to him.
He's saying the toughest things in the most cowardly tone.
Qi Yanzhou gave a half-smile.
If she had paid a closer look, she would have noticed that before he went to take a shower, that seemingly gentle smile didn't reach his eyes at all.
When Song Chiyu was half asleep, she felt Qi Yanzhou kissing her.
She gently pushed against his chest, "No, I'm sleepy."
However, the other party not only did not back down, but also grabbed her hand.
She groggily opened her eyes and found that all the lights in the room were off, leaving only his distinct, slender silhouette. Unable to move her hands, she tried to push him with her knees, but he pinned her knees between his, rendering her immobile.
"Qi Yanzhou!" she shouted, but she was too sleepy and lacked any real threat, only exuding a fierce and childlike energy.
"Hmm?" he asked, holding her wrist with one hand and kissing her neck.
Her high, straight nose pressed against the artery in her neck.
His nose was filled with her alluring sweet scent, which bewitched him into kissing her even more deeply.
I said no.
"Mm," he responded, but the kisses on her collarbone didn't stop. Song Chiyu's heart was in turmoil, and she was about to say something to stop him when she heard him say calmly, "I thought you would ask me about that student."
Which student?
He did not answer.
Warm lips traced along her ribs and kissed her navel through her clothes.
Song Chiyu realized what was going on, "You two have nothing going on, what's there to ask?"
"Do you really think so?" Qi Zhannan had already quietly told him about the rumors between him and that student during dinner. He thought she would be angry and jealous about it, but she didn't mention it at all, leaving him unsure of where to begin to explain.
"kindness."
Qi Yanzhou released her grip and got up to turn on the wall lamp next to her.
He gazed at her in the dim light, "Look at me."
Her eyes cleared up a bit.
Under the lamplight was that cool and handsome face, with sharp, defined features, yet gentle eyes. He didn't say a word, but lowered his gaze and kissed her lips.
Her hands, which had initially been pushing him away, unknowingly wrapped around his neck.
He gently raised his head, his high, straight nose touching the tip of her nose. "I haven't thought about it, so why are you bringing up divorce with me?"
"I didn't bring this up with you because of this..."
"But back in Suzhou, you clearly said that no matter what my stance was, you wouldn't divorce me, and that you'd just give up this job." His gentle and composed gaze exposed all her hidden thoughts: "Were you lying to me?"
Song Chiyu fell completely silent.
He gently bit her earlobe: "On the way here, were you thinking about how to divorce me all the time?"
"No." She said in a muffled voice, her earlobes and cheeks burning involuntarily. "I know you're not that kind of person."
"Hmm?" He looked up thoughtfully. "So, in another matter, I'm that kind of person?"
Song Chiyu fell completely silent, biting her lip quietly.
He held the back of her neck and gently kissed her lips. "Let me guess. You know I'm not that kind of person, but you can't help but overthink. Before you even saw me, you had already imagined a huge battle where you would completely break off all ties with me."
"No……"
"No? Then why didn't you look at me after you got out of the car?" His hand moved up her thigh, past her skirt, and then up her leg. "Hmm?"
Song Chiyu grasped his hand, which was wandering under her skirt, and said, "Qi Yanzhou, calm down."
"How can we calm down?" He was completely unfazed by her attempts to stop him, tracing the shape of her skin with his fingertips: "I feel that what you said wasn't about wanting a divorce."
"So what do you think I'm thinking?"
His thin eyelids drooped slightly, his warm lips brushed against her ear, and accompanied by the lingering scent of incense, he uttered two words in a low, gentle voice: "Get fucked."
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