8 Questions
◎"I like what I like from the first moment I saw it"◎
Qi Yanzhou noticed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"
"When are you free next week? I'd like you to come to my house."
"I'm free anytime, whenever it's convenient for you."
"Then come to my house next Saturday."
"kindness."
Fearing that he might feel pressured, Song Chiyu offered, "I'll prepare everything; you just need to come."
He shook his head: "I'm used to worrying. I can do it myself."
"How could I possibly accept that..."
"You're not doing business with me, so why are you talking about reciprocity?"
"Okay, you'll see, but I promise I won't make you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in my house," Song Chiyu said confidently.
"Hmm," he replied dismissively.
After dinner, Qi Yanzhou saw Qi Jianguo and Qi Qingfang downstairs. Qi Yanzhou put away his patriarchal air, and Qi Jianguo adopted the demeanor of an elder brother, lecturing him: "From now on, when guests come over, don't let your wife cook. It's too much trouble. Just eat out."
Qi Yanzhou remained silent.
Qi Qingfang rolled his eyes at him. They were both his sons, how could the eldest have no sense at all? Those were all Anxi dishes, how could they possibly have been made by that Miss Song? He gave him a light slap on the back, annoyed: "Why do you care about other people's business? Just eat what's offered, why are you asking so many questions?"
Were those dishes made for him? That's my comment.
Qi Jianguo was surprised: "Dad, why do I feel like your hearing is working a little better?"
Qi Qingfang ignored him, "Alright, let's leave Yanzhou here. It's too much trouble for Miss Song to pack so many things."
When Qi Yanzhou returned, Song Chiyu had already cleared the table and was throwing bones into the trash can. Hearing the door open, she poked her head out from the kitchen: "You're back?"
Her long, straight black hair slid from behind her shoulders to her front as she leaned forward. A plain apron hung on her fair and slender neck, outlining the hem of her skirt. Under the warm, dim light of the ceiling lamp, she exuded a natural beauty without makeup.
He stared straight at her, the icy coldness in his eyes melting away in the warm light, and unconsciously raised the corners of his lips: "Mm."
"I was just about to ask you what to do with these leftovers."
“I’ll handle this.” He stepped forward, untied the knot around her waist, took it off her neck, and hung it on the hook by the door. “I’ll take you home first.”
“I drove here today, you don’t need to take me.” Song Chiyu was still thinking about the dishes in the sink. “There are so many dishes, how long will it take you to wash them all by yourself? I’ll go with you.”
"We won't be washing for long, let's go."
Seeing that he was determined, Song Chiyu did not want to force him.
I went outside.
Qi Yanzhou drove her to the parking lot by the roadside. After hesitating for a long time, Song Chiyu couldn't help but say, "Teacher Qi, if you keep being so polite to me, I'll feel embarrassed to trouble you."
"Then how can I not be polite?" He stood under a tree by the roadside with one hand in his pocket. His cool and aloof features looked particularly dark and melancholic in the dim light, and even his tone became low and distant.
Song Chiyu closed the driver's side door and walked back to him.
"You should ask me for help when you need it. For example, with today's matter, you can share the burden with me instead of doing everything yourself."
Qi Yanzhou saw through her little scheme at a glance and unconsciously raised the corners of his lips: "Are you afraid that when I go to your house, you'll have to do everything by yourself?"
Song Chiyu: "..."
Although that's what she meant, she shouldn't say it like that; it would make her seem petty.
“I do think you’re working hard,” Song Chiyu genuinely thought so too. “It’s not necessary. This marriage is between the two of us. I can’t help with things like cooking, but I can do things like washing dishes and cleaning.”
"Yes, I'll do that when I go to your house."
Song Chiyu: "..."
No, that would make her seem even more stingy.
“That’s not what I meant,” Song Chiyu explained.
"Yes, that's what I meant," he said, his mood not very good, not even in the mood to joke with her. "Miss Song, it's getting late, you should go back now. See you next week."
Song Chiyu had no choice but to give up.
She thought he was in a hurry to get back, which was why he was rushing her away. But even after her car had driven quite a distance, he was still standing on the roadside with one hand in his pocket, watching her go.
This person is truly unfathomable.
Halfway through her drive, Song Chiyu felt increasingly uneasy. She opened WeChat to say a few words of advice, only to realize that she hadn't added him on WeChat, so she had no choice but to call him.
He answered quickly, "Did you forget something?"
"No, I just noticed you drank quite a bit tonight and wanted to remind you to drink some milk so your stomach won't feel uncomfortable."
Qi Yanzhou remained silent for a long time before softly replying, "Yes, are you home yet?"
"Not yet, but soon."
"Then focus on driving, and let me know when you get home."
When she got home, Lili asked her where she had been and why she was only coming back now.
Song Chiyu answered truthfully, "I went to meet my parents."
"Whose parents?"
“My husband’s.” Song Chiyu was afraid that Li Li would think she was joking again, so she didn’t show any extra expression, but Li Li still rolled her eyes at her.
"You're messing with your mother again?"
"No, it's the truth."
"So when are you planning to bring your husband back for me to see?" Li Li asked, arms crossed.
Next Saturday.
"Okay, okay, bring it back next Saturday. Let's see what kind of thing you can bring back for me."
"It's nothing, it's a university professor."
Li Li laughed when she heard this, "How old will you be? Older than me or older than your father? Once you get married, will you be able to become a grandmother without any pain?"
“Thirty-three, seven years older than me,” Song Chiyu said, seeing that Li Li didn’t believe her no matter what she said, so she had to be more specific: “You’ve met him too, he’s Qi Zhannan’s second uncle, Qi Yanzhou.”
Li Li has lived to this age and only now has she realized that people can actually laugh when they are speechless.
He couldn't help but sneer: "Fine, fine, Qi Yanzhou, bring him back on Saturday, and I'll have your dad come too."
Li Li didn't believe it at all, but she also wanted to see how long Song Chiyu would keep up this act in order to avoid going on blind dates.
Song Chiyu didn't think too much about it, feeling that there was no point in saying more, and that everything would be clear once Qi Yanzhou arrived.
On Saturday morning, Song Chiyu and Li Li bought groceries. Seeing that he was coming soon, they simply stood at the entrance of the community and waited for Qi Yanzhou.
Qi Yanzhou saw her from afar, dressed in a snow-white dress, standing under the shade of trees, lost in thought. A gentle breeze lifted her long hair, which was draped over her shoulders. She naturally raised her hand to tuck it behind her ear, and casually turned her head. After glancing at him sitting behind the windshield, she smiled and waved to him.
He parked his car on the side of the road.
He politely and gently unbuckled his seatbelt and greeted her through the lowered passenger window: "Ms. Song."
“Teacher Qi,” he said politely, and Song Chiyu was no less so, glancing at the several gift boxes on his passenger seat, “You can drive into our neighborhood.”
“It’s not far, let’s walk in together.”
Song Chiyu did not press the matter further.
Looking at the cigarettes and alcohol in his hand, she asked, "How much did you spend in total?"
Not many.
"You're lying." She bought some when she went to Xie Yunjin's house; those two bottles of wine alone cost almost five thousand. "Let my dad keep them for now, and I'll send them back to you at a suitable time later."
Qi Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh and said, "There's no reason to take back something you gave to your father-in-law."
"It's not real." Song Chiyu just didn't want to see him suffer a loss, so she was just going through the motions. There was no need to go to such lengths.
Qi Yanzhou glanced at her indifferently.
Upon entering the house, before Song Chiyu could even speak, Old Song came out of the kitchen, greeting him while pulling a cigarette from his bag and offering it to him.
"No, thank you."
"It's good that you don't smoke." Old Song immediately put the cigarette away. "Please sit down, please sit down."
Li Li stood up from the sofa and greeted him with a forced smile, "You're here, son-in-law, please sit down."
Qi Yanzhou sat down stiffly, his knees naturally apart, without any intention of leaning back in the chair.
He always had a cool and dignified demeanor, even in the middle of summer, he still wore a mid-length sleeve shirt, only revealing a section of his wrist skin, which was mostly covered by a black leather watch.
"You and Xiaoyu, that's the time you met at the coffee shop, right?" Li Li asked with a smile, "How come you got married so quickly?"
Qi Yanzhou also wanted to know Song Chiyu's answer.
He looked towards Song Chiyu.
Suddenly feeling pressured by the gazes of two pairs of eyes, Song Chiyu said, "I... I think it's very suitable."
Qi Yanzhou looked at Li Li.
Li Li unconsciously took this as Qi Yanzhou's answer as well, and pressed him aggressively: "Just suitable? Then you are taking marriage too lightly."
"Otherwise what? Isn't marriage just like that?" Song Chiyu disliked Li Li's tone, finding her anger inexplicable, and replied confidently.
"So you got married just to appease me?"
"Isn't this what you wanted me to do by setting you up on a blind date?" That wasn't what Song Chiyu meant, but hearing her accusatory tone, she couldn't help but get emotional.
"So I'm telling you to just marry anyone?"
"How can you say he's just anyone? He has a good personality, is a good person, comes from a good family, and has a good job. What is there to dissatisfy you about him?" Song Chiyu couldn't find a more suitable marriage partner than him.
"Does he like you?" Li Li asked back. "I want you to get married so that you can be happy, not so that you can find someone to appease me."
Tears welled in Li Li's eyes; she was clearly disappointed with her answer.
Song Chiyu belatedly realized that her marriage was to make Li Li happy. Why was she arguing with her? She could have easily coaxed her into it.
Song Chiyu opened her mouth with some regret.
But she didn't know what to say, so she bit her lip again.
"I like it." Qi Yanzhou, sitting between the two, suddenly spoke, greatly easing the current atmosphere.
"What?" Li Li and Song Chiyu exclaimed in unison.
Qi Yanzhou looked at Song Chiyu: "I liked her from the first moment I saw her."
[Author's Note]
Small Theater——
Song Chiyu (starry-eyed): Teacher Qi, this is the first time I've seen someone so good at making things up. People really do need to read more books.
Qi Yanzhou (truly at a loss for words): Thank you, there were no lies, it was all from the heart.
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