"I have a villa in T City but the keys are with Song Yu. I will get it from her tonight and pass it to you tomorrow. Stay in T City first. Take a break. I will inform Chenglin. We will proclaim that you are on a business trip. Everything will be fine as long as you return before Wei Minghao's birthday and attend his birthday party. During this time, Chenglin should be able to do a thorough investigation into Jian Yi."

Qi Chengyue's jaw dropped. She inhaled sharply but could not utter a word. Her eyes stung with gratitude.

She did not expect Chengzhi to help her like this. Even though he could not provide her a suitable job, he still tried his best to complete her requests.

Before, she was never close to neither Qi Chengzhi nor Qi Chenglin.

However, now, she could feel the bond between them. They are family to her - they are her brothers.

Qi Chenglin busied himself with helping her find evidence of Jian Yi's affair while Qi Chengzhi helped her avoid Jian Yi for the time being.

They were both toiling away to meet her needs.

Qi Chengyue recalled Song Yu's words to her.

"When you feel weak, we will help you; when you need someone to rely on, we will be there to support you; when you have nowhere to go, our doors are always open; when you feel helpless, we will be your safest haven."

They are family to her - they are her brothers.

Qi Chengyue sniffled but a single drop of tear managed to escape her eye. 

Qi Chengzhi frowned. He was not skilled in dealing with such situations. Luckily, Qi Chengyue swiftly wiped off the tear on her face and murmured, "Big brother, thank… thank you. About the past, I'm sorry…"

Qi Chengyue did not wait for Qi Chengzhi's respond. She did not expect him to respond. She knew full well that the only person he showed any hint of emotions to was Song Yu.

He cared about his family and can be relied on whenever needed, yet he would never let these feelings show.

She turned around and bolted. Just as she reached the doorway, Qi Chengzhi called out to her.

Qi Chengyue turned back and was met with Qi Chengzhi's clear voice, saying, "You are part of the Qi family. You are our sister."

His words were not exactly filled with emotions - in fact, like always, he sounded cold and distant, like a robot. Nevertheless, Qi Chengyue was rendered speechless.

She nodded. Her hands gripped tight on the doorknob. "For my stubborn behavior in the past, I… I'm really sorry."

After saying that, she did not dare to linger anymore. She was afraid she might break down and start bawling her eyes out. How embarrassing!

She rushed out of the office and toward the elevator with her head staring straight down, unaware of the sound of footsteps trailing behind her.

She stopped in front of the elevator and waited for it. In the meantime, she took out her phone that vibrated a while ago from her pocket. It was a notification for a credit card payment.

Once again, Zhou Mingyan made a payment of over ten thousand yuan using her credit card.

Qi Chengyue only felt insulted. His behavior disgusted her. She would have canceled that card if she was not worried that it would arouse Jian Yi's suspicion. 

Even though the money was insignificant to her, it did not mean that she could let that shameless bast*rd take advantage of her!

"Miss Qi!" a voice called out from behind her. Cheng Dongge caught up with her.

Qi Chengyue kept her phone away, sniffled a little and turned around.

Cheng Dongge stopped in his tracks. Qi Chengyue's eyes were red and puffy from crying. He looked at her awkwardly. 

"Miss Qi, about yesterday… the things that I said, I didn't mean it. It's just…" He frowned. "It's just that something so humiliating was revealed to everyone, and I was overwhelmed by rage. I sincerely apologize for the things I said."

Qi Chengyue pulled herself together. She waited for the approaching elevator and watched as the doors slowly opened. "Whatever I say now, it's not because I'm afraid of aggravating the situation but because I truly believe what you said was right. I had no business in meddling in your affairs; I shouldn't have intervened. Arrogantly, I believed I did the right thing. I brought my own feelings into someone else's affairs - I was selfish. I'm the one who should apologize," she admitted.

Without even glancing back at him, she immediately entered the elevator.

Cheng Dongge opened his mouth but before he could utter a word, the elevator door shut.

…

…

When Qi Chengzhi returned home at night, he told Song Yu about their plan and asked her for the keys.

She retrieved the keys for him. Pride overcame her, as she felt like the household's treasurer. They were akin to other ordinary married couples - the husband would entrust all his assets to the wife. This felt especially meaningful to her.

"Why didn't you tell me Chengyue came to see you yesterday afternoon?" Qi Chengzhi questioned. He was unhappy that she kept it from him.

Quickly, she seated herself beside him, prepared to act according to his temper. She playfully wrapped her hands around his arm. Her body slithered toward his and she laid on him with her head on his shoulders. In a gentle voice, she whispered, "She poured her heart out to me yesterday. It was things she never told you guys about so I have to keep her secret."

She noticed Qi Chengzhi's discreet glance and proceeded to grab his elegant big hands, subconsciously rubbing his long and slender fingers.

"Say I told you about our meeting, you would surely ask about our conversation, so I decided to not mention it at all." Before he could even open his mouth, Song Yu hurriedly stated, "Let me make this clear - you are not allowed to ask me what she said. I will never tell you. In any case, she wasn't bad-mouthing. If she had been rude to me, I would have told you from the start."

"Truth be told, only after speaking to her yesterday could I see a new side of her. She had turned over a new leaf. No longer is she a naive, spoilt child. This could be the result of the unsuccessful wedding - it changed her and made her wiser than before. The point is, the Chengyue now is quite likable," Song Yu explained.

Qi Chengzhi stared at her for some time before finally saying, "Next time, don't keep things from me. If you promised to keep someone's secret - as long as it's nothing bad - simply inform me about it. I won't pry, but you have to let me know."

"Okay." Song Yu nodded while smiling and suddenly, she kissed him. "Honey, you're the best! Thank you for giving me a perfect marriage."

"..." Qi Chengzhi smiled at her, uncertain if she was only trying to please him, so he would not get mad. She seemed to be getting better at dealing with his temperament. 

…

…

The next day, Qi Chengzhi handed over the keys to Qi Chengyue and had Chang Lai send her to the airport.

…

…

On Saturday morning, Song Yu was woken up by Qi Chengzhi. She was still half asleep.

Qi Chengzhi flipped her over from her spot on the bed and onto him.

His hands gently squeezed her soft body. "Have you grown bigger lately?" he asked.

Song Yu only let out a groan. She was still in a daze. She rubbed her face against him for a while then settled down, ready to go back to sleep.

"You seemed to have gotten softer too." His drowsy voice rang in her ears.

His husky voice enveloped her, like a million tentacles scratching her skin, giving off a numbing yet arousing sensation. The hand on her chest was slowly taking away her sleepiness. Her lower abdomen was pulsing. Unable to hold herself back, she started grinding softly.

She felt the sturdy chest pressed against her own starting to tremble. Immediately after, he grabbed her waist firmly and suddenly pushed against her. His erect, hot pole hit her shortly after.

"You want it already? What made you so sensitive lately, hmm?" Qi Chengzhi's thin, hot lips pressed against her ear. As he talked, he rubbed his lips against her ears. He traced her spine all the way to her buttocks, where his fingers slowly penetrated her.

Song Yu blushed. She did not know what was up with her either. All he did was touch her a little yet she got so aroused. His lips rubbed against her ear until they were bright red.

Seeing Song Yu's flushed face and silent compliance, Qi Chengzhi wanted to kiss her even more; he desired her more strongly.

She lowered her head and the pair of thin, hot lips pressed aggressively against her cheeks and the corner of her eyes. He held her face in one hand and moved on to kissing her lips. His scorching tongue stabbed into her mouth. He kissed her until she felt light-headed. He held her with both hands and suddenly raise the sails. Full speed ahead, the ship broke into the furthest depths of the harbor.

Song Yu moaned. She held on tight to his neck and forcefully sucked on the little red bean on his chest, refusing to let go.

Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, flipped himself over - with Song Yu pressed beneath him, and poured his whole body into her. She held onto him tight. The last few moments were euphoria for him.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi breathed blissfully. Even though he was out of breath, it was all too addicting. 

He held Song Yu in one hand while the other stroked her long, soft hair. He looked down and saw tiny beads of perspiration resting on her forehead, then proceeded to sip them up little by little.

"Don't you have to go to the company today?" Song Yu's forehead rested against his neck. Looking down, she saw one of the little red beans she sucked on so hard that it was now swollen. It looked cute and silly. She poked it with her fingertip and circled it as if she was playing a game.

Today Grandmother Qi was going to bring her over to Grandmother Han's house for a chat. Initially, Qi Chengzhi was to go with her. Song Yu guessed that he wanted to brag about her himself.

However, an unexpected client arrived yesterday - one of the higher-ups from another company. An important meeting was to take place so Qi Chengzhi had to show up personally.

Qi Chengzhi suddenly tightened his grip on her. Pressing his thin, hot lips on her ears, he muttered, "I don't want to go. I'd rather go to Grandmother Han's house with you."

Song Yu laughed. Hearing such childish words from his mouth felt as if the age gap between them had shrunk.

She got up and gave him a peck on his firm yet soft lips. "Come on, hurry and get up. Otherwise, you're going to be late."

As she was getting up, Qi Chengzhi suddenly grabbed hold of her. His elegant hands cupped her cheeks as he pulled her back into bed. He kissed her passionately and aggressively. His tongue twisted and turned in her mouth as they locked lips.

No matter how many times he kissed her, no matter how many times he touched her, Song Yu's heart would still race. Her tongue rested in his hot mouth. Her whole body, her whole heart, was encased in warmth.

A long while later, Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her. He helped her sit up and gave her some space. He scanned her from top to toe, then placed his hand on her chest and squeezed her waist gently.

"You really have gotten bigger and softer, even your waist has become much softer." Qi Chengzhi was still caught up in measuring her softness.

Song Yu's face flushed red. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hands off her. She was displeased with the way he was measuring her body as if it was an item.

"Stop fooling around." Song Yu's face was flushed. She felt her ears burning up and the numbing sensation spread to her scalp. It all felt fiery.

She got out of bed hastily, grabbed some clothes from the cupboard and rushed straight into the bathroom. She even locked the door.

Hearing the click of the lock, Qi Chengzhi was stunned for a while. He then could not help but chuckled a little. Only now was he willing to get out of bed and put his clothes on.

After breakfast, Qi Chengzhi dropped Song Yu off at the old mansion before heading to the company.

Song Yu told Qi Chengzhi to head straight to the company but he insisted. Qi Chengzhi composedly said, "Only if I'm completely tied up with work will I have Chang Lai drive you. Otherwise, I would chauffeur you personally."

This was also the reason why Qi Chengzhi would never gift Song Yu a car. With his capabilities, Song Yu could have had whatever car and however many cars she wished for. Right now, there was already a Jaguar parked in the garage waiting to be driven.

Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi would never let Song Yu drive. He was worried about her safety. Besides, he enjoyed driving her personally.

Thus, Song Yu did not say much more.

The Range Rover stopped in front of the old mansion's doorstep. Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu and waited for her to kiss him goodbye, only then did he let her get off. He watched as Song Yu entered the house, then finally drove away.

…

…

Grandmother Qi brought Song Yu to the Han's house. Unlike in the Qi family manor, the grandparents stayed in the courtyard house.

This house appeared more antiquated and less stylish yet it gave off a comforting and welcoming vibe. It was not overly extravagant that others would feel intimidated.

When Grandmother Qi and Song Yu entered, Grandmother Yan and Grandmother Gui had already arrived.

The three grandmothers were looking through a stack of photographs. Grandmother Qi excitedly called out, "Lao Han! Lao Yan! Lao Gui!"

The trio set aside the photographs in hand and stood up to greet her.

Grandmother Qi introduced Song Yu. Politely, Song Yu greeted the three elders.

The trio eyed Song Yu like wolves stalking a lamb. Their hearts filled with awe and envy towards Grandmother Qi.

"Sigh, look at the Song girl, so fair, so beautiful. She's even willing to spend time with us old ladies. My grandson is such a failure!" Grandmother Gui said dejectedly. Whenever she brought up her grandson, tears would well up in her eyes. "Chengzhi is older than him, yet he managed to bring home a granddaughter-in-law. When is my grandson ever going to bring home a granddaughter-in-law for me?"

"Hehehe, this is all up to fate." Grandmother Qi pretended to dismiss the compliment. She laughed as she dragged Song Yu to the seat beside her. "As long as they try a little harder and take this more seriously, they will find 'the one' eventually. Take our Chengzhi for example - he was single for years, but when Song Yu first appeared, his eyes glimmered. Head over heels, he gave everything to win her heart and now finally made her my granddaughter-in-law."

"Song Yu, do you know any suitable ladies who you can introduce to Zhouli?" Grandmother Han expectantly leaned towards Song Yu.

"My Beicheng too!" Grandmother Yan was afraid she was too slow as if Grandmother Han had stolen her future granddaughter-in-law. Her tensed expression appeared as if there was a future granddaughter-in-law up for grabs right in front of her.

"Even though he doesn't like blind dates, he's quite close to Chengzhi, isn't he? When they meet up, that's your chance to bring the lady along and introduce her to Beicheng."

Grandmother Gui hastily joined in, "Song Yu, don't forget about my Zhiqian. Just like his name suggests1, he is humble and courteous. He would never mistreat his wife!"

"..." Song Yu was speechless.

Was she sure she was talking about Gui Zhiqian?

Before Song Yu could reply, Grandmother Qi stood up and announced, "This is unacceptable. If she introduced all the ladies to your grandsons, what about my Chenglin? Did all of you forget? He even has a son! Youxuan is in need of a mother."

"Chengzhi already brought you a granddaughter-in-law, is that not enough? You can't hog all the good fortune!" Grandmother Han was dissatisfied. "At least let one each of our grandsons get married first! You're making all your grandsons get married in one fell swoop. Do you think this is like cooking dumplings?"

Grandmother Han had put up with Grandmother Qi for long enough.

Ever since Qi Chengzhi started dating Song Yu, Grandmother Qi had been blowing her own trumpet. She called her all day long to brag about Qi Chengzhi bringing home a girlfriend and how great she was.

During their engagement, she called again to spread the news. At long last, despite all dramas and plot twists, Song Yu still ended up being her granddaughter-in-law. There was no way to run away from fate!

During their wedding, she called once again. Full of herself, she declared that her 'future granddaughter-in-law' had officially become her granddaughter-in-law. On the day itself, she already brought her granddaughter-in-law over to her house.

Ever since Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu started going out, Grandmother Qi had been posting about it all over her WeChat Moments. This tempted Grandmother Han to block her. 

"Ah! What were the three of you looking at?" Grandmother Qi abruptly changed the subject. Song Yu had not even revealed whether she knew any suitable ladies to introduce to their grandsons. Grandmother Qi wanted them to simply forget about it.

Getting to the bottom of things, she simply did not want Song Yu to introduce anyone to them.

"We were helping Lao Han go through some photographs that were sent in, looking for a potential girlfriend for Zhouli," Grandmother Yan replied irritatedly.

"That's why I said, my Zhouli is an extremely popular boy. I only said a few words about him and these photographs came pouring in like snow in mid-winter," Grandmother Han said proudly.

"Hehehe!" Grandmother Qi lifted the cup of tea she was just served and took a sip. "Marriage - it all boils down to fate. Blind dates are more or less useless. They have to find 'the one' themselves. Look at our Chengzhi, we arranged tons of blind dates for him in the past, but none of them were successful. Despite all, he managed to find this Song girl all by himself."

Only when Grandmother Qi was boasting could she stand and talk without having backaches. Seeing her prideful expression, even Song Yu thought she was being obnoxious. Looking at the three grandmothers - especially Grandmother Han - their expression clearly showed displeasure. 

Just moments ago, Grandmother Qi wanted to keep all the ladies Song Yu knew to Qi Chenglin, yet now she claimed blind dates to be pointless.

However, once Grandmother Qi finished talking, she took a glance at Song Yu. Even though Song Yu did not express any discontent or envy - she appeared calm and occasionally gave the grandmothers a courteous smile - Grandmother Qi was worried that she might have misunderstood her.

Grandmother Qi quickly explained, "Song Yu, please don't misunderstand. Chengzhi had only gone on a few blind dates. Furthermore, it was all under pretenses. Zhongliang would tell him it's a business meeting, and only when he had arrived would he see that other person had brought their daughter along. If he had known, he would never have gone. He hates blind dates!"

"Grandma, that is all in the past. I don't mind any of it," Song Yu reassured with a smile.

Relieved, Grandmother Qi started crowing away about the delights of her grandson's wedding again.

Zhiqian 之謙 - the character Qian 謙 comes from the word 謙虛 which means modest