Everyone else was struck with horror; they could not stand seeing Qi Chengzhi being so tender. Finally, the elevator arrived. All of them secretly let out a sigh of relief. However, when the elevator door opened, they saw Director Zhao and Madam Zhao in there. The second Director Zhao saw Qi Chengzhi, he was panic-stricken.

Manager Wang noticed the situation and said, "Director Qi, Song Yu, please have a seat first. We will wait for the next ride."

Qi Chengzhi did not care. He nodded and led Song Yu into the elevator.

Director Zhao and Madam Zhao quickly greeted Qi Chengzhi. Maintaining his usual haughty appearance, Qi Chengzhi nodded at them coldly. Then, he turned to Song Yu and asked, "Just now, I saw Yang Yunshu come out of the design department. Is she back to working in the design department?"

Director Zhao suddenly grew anxious. Song Yu answered, "Didn't I take two months' leave? The company was short-handed, so she was called to help. It isn't wise for them to not utilize every one of their architects."

"Director Qi, if you're not happy with this, I can transfer her back," Director Zhao said hurriedly.

"No need." Qi Chengzhi glanced at him composedly. He knew that Song Yu said that because she did not want him to stoop down to Yang Yunshu's level. "Since you shifted her back, just let her stay. However, you should keep an eye on her. Song Yu is now pregnant, she can't deal with any of her plots. If anything happens—"

"Director Qi, rest assured, I will keep my eyes peeled," Director Zhao assured hastily.

After that, Qi Chengzhi kept silent. When the elevator reached the first floor, he led Song Yu out.

He shielded Song Yu as she got into the car. He got in and fastened his seatbelt. However, he did not start the engine. He reached out and cupped his hand on Song Yu's belly.

Seeing such a reliable and independent man acting like a curious child and constantly feeling her belly, Song Yu could not help but smile.

"He's not moving," Qi Chengzhi mumbled as he leaned his face closer.

Qi Chengzhi pouted. "I've been wanting to feel his kicks the whole day when I was at work. Why is he so lazy?"

"Do you want him to be kicking inside all day long?" Song Yu teased.

Qi Chengzhi looked up silently and stared at her with a smile. He leaned in and kissed her.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Song Yu was heating up due to his tender stare.

"I was used to having you wait for me at home. Suddenly, I have to come pick you up from work again. I feel like we've been apart for too long," Qi Chengzhi said in a soft voice. The truth was, he preferred that she stayed home; he would feel more at ease.

Knowing his thoughts, Song Yu held his hand gently. She stared at his refined long fingers. Her fingers slowly slid up his, stacking their palms together. Then, her fingers slithered between his, lacing them together.

"I have decided that I'll resign after Youjin is born. I'll devote myself to taking care of him at home. If there are any suitable designing jobs, I'll do it at home. Nonetheless, my main focus will always be on Youjin. I just don't want us to be too disconnected." Song Yu looked at him tenderly. She appeared especially submissive. "Truth be told, I love to stay home and wait for you to return too, but when you go to work during the day, I'm bored when left alone at home. There's not much I can do either. Once Youjin is born, I'm sure I won't have time to be bored. I've already contemplated on it; a month before his due date, instead of taking a month's leave, I'll resign there and then."

Qi Chengzhi did not expect her to have thought everything through. He completely agreed with her plans and told her so.

While driving, Qi Chengzhi asked, "Is there anything you'd like to eat? We can get it on the way."

As though she had made up her mind long ago, she leaned closer flirtatiously and clung onto his arm. "Hot and sour noodle."

Qi Chengzhi grinned. It seemed like the idiom 'sour boy and spicy girl1' was accurate since Song Yu loved sour food.

Therefore, Qi Chengzhi drove to Shengyue. Shengyue mainly served Sichuan cuisine. On the menu, there were some unique sides, including hot and sour noodles. Previously, after he had finished watching a movie with Song Yu, they loitered around for a while and when Song Yu mentioned it, Shengyue was already closed. He had to buy it from a small shop by the road.

The noodles cooked in Shengyue felt safer to be consumed than the ones sold in roadside shops. It also did not have the smell of artificial essences.

They got takeout from Shengyue, only then did the duo return home.

Aunt Yang glared at the hot and sour noodle placed on the dining table and shook her head disapprovingly. "Madam, why do you always eat these things? There are so much soy sauce and vinegar in them. Be careful or the child you give birth to might be black as a crow."

Song Yu, "..."

…

…

After dinner, Qi Chengzhi grabbed his laptop and went to work in the bedroom. This time, he was not sitting on the bed. Instead, he sat on the couch. When working, he could see Song Yu lying on the bed just by lifting his head up.

After taking a bath, Song Yu climbed onto the bed. Qi Chengzhi looked up from his monitor to look at Song Yu.

"What's up?" Song Yu was holding a book that she was planning to read.

"I was thinking, if you want to work from home after resigning, I'll hand you any suitable designing jobs we have at Qilin." Qi Chengzhi's gaze was gentle and his voice was calm and melodic. "You'll only have to draw up the designs. As for site visiting, supervision, et cetera, I'll have Qilin's employees handle it. This way, it won't be as tiring as working for someone else. What do you think?"

Song Yu pondered on it, then said, "Wouldn't it cause an inconvenience? I'm sure the manager in your company wouldn't dare to speak up even if he isn't satisfied with my designs due to my position."

"Since I'm here, why do we need anyone else?" Qi Chengzhi pouted. With a faint smile, he pointed out and said, "I can discuss the design draft with you at home. You can change anything that needs to be changed immediately. When it comes to work, I won't take anything as a joke."

Song Yu knew that he took his work very seriously. Even back when she was competing to design Qilin Hotel, although Qi Chengzhi was willing to hand her the job, it was only after she gave him her design draft. She had to make many alterations before the final draft was produced.

Song Yu thought, with Qi Chengzhi supporting her, she could feel at ease no matter what she did, so she agreed.

Once Qi Chengzhi finished his work, he came over with a bottle of essential oil and firming lotion to rub on Song Yu's stomach and massage her legs.

"He's moving! Chengzhi, Youjin is moving again," Song Yu announced excitedly.

Qi Chengzhi speedily placed his hand on her belly. He could feel Qi Youjin's movements from time to time inside Song Yu's belly. He pressed his ears against her stomach. "This little guy, does he sleep in the day and wake up at night?"

Song Yu chuckled and said, "I wish we can fast-forward to his due date."

After a while, little Qi Youjin must have grown tired—he stopped moving. Qi Chengzhi fixed his gaze at Song Yu's enlarged stomach and suggested, "Should we find some time to do a pregnancy photoshoot?"

"Sure." Song Yu had thought about it before but seeing that Qi Chengzhi was so busy, she did not bring it up.

…

…

Grandmother Qi's birthday fell on a Saturday. After a secret discussion between the four women of the Qi family, they decided to throw an unforgettable birthday party at Dynasty.

Grandmother Qi loved acting, so they decided to make 'nostalgic movies' the theme of the party. It was something like a masquerade ball. They decorated different areas of the hall to look like classic scenes from movies. Those who attend the party could dress up as any character from any movie—it was not limited to the movies that had their scenes used at the party.

Only after the decoration was completed did Xia Wenna and Guan Liya tell Grandmother Qi about it. Grandmother Qi was overjoyed to hear about the party. She had completely forgotten that she had once said she did not want an extravagant party; she only wanted the whole family to celebrate it together at the old mansion modestly. Exhilarated, Grandmother Qi dug out her favorite movie and found a tailor to make her cheongsam.

On Saturday, Chang Lai arrived at the Song family's house to pick Song Donglin and Yu Qianying up. This way, they did not have to walk on the streets to call a cab whilst in their costumes and attract unwanted attention. Yu Qianying was not thick-skinned enough to do that.

Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had long arrived at Dynasty to welcome guests. Song Yu was pregnant so she could not find any costumes she would look good in. Thus, she ended up wearing a Hanfu. The high-waisted skirt was not very revealing and it could be worn as maternity clothing as well.

Qi Chengzhi wore a three-piece suit. He was dressed up in a retro style from the 30's and 40's. He even put on the glasses he had kept away long ago.

Song Yu had not seen him in glasses in a long time. When she saw him with glasses that day, it reminded her of the time they met again; he was wearing glasses, making him appear particularly unfathomable and mysterious. The lenses covered his dark and sharp eyes, masking the expression in his eyes. His usual sternness was also hidden behind those glasses, making him appear much more elegant and genteel.

However, Song Yu knew him all too well. No matter how she looked at it, she still thought that the outfit did not suit his personality at all.

On the way here, Song Yu had been staring at the bespectacled Qi Chengzhi the whole time. Once Qi Chengzhi had stopped the car in a parking spot in front of Dynasty, he turned to Song Yu and raised an eyebrow at her, saying, "You've been staring at me the whole way here."

"When I see you wearing glasses again, it reminded me of the way you looked back then. It's quite nostalgic." Song Yu stared at the man who gave off a completely different aura with glasses on. Back then, he was this elegant and genteel-looking man, yet he could do such shameless things to her.

"Then do you want me to wear it or not?" Qi Chengzhi asked in his low, husky voice while raising an eyebrow.

"Don't wear it, you look more handsome without it. Even so, the way you look right now really makes me miss the old days. It's quite fun to think about it," Song Yu said as she grinned.

Suddenly, Qi Chengzhi leaned toward Song Yu. His dashing face abruptly magnified in front of her eyes. Song Yu could not tell what he was thinking, but his face was inches away from hers. As she stared into his deep eyes through the lenses, she remembered that back in the day—when he was still wearing glasses—he would abruptly lean closer to her like this, making her nervous and charmed at the same time.

At this moment, Song Yu's heart raced. As his scalding breaths landed on her face, she felt her face grow hotter and hotter, as if it was being cooked.

His thin and elegant lips curled up a little. He was an adult, yet he looked like a rascal.

Song Yu's breathing was all over the place. She watched as he leaned closer and closer. When his lips were almost touching hers, he stopped. Song Yu was quite unhappy about it. How could he pull her in like that then leave her hanging? How wicked!

Then, Qi Chengzhi's intoxicating smoky voice sounded. His voice was peculiarly alluring. "I suddenly realized, back then, I have only kissed you with my glasses on, but we've never done it with it on, right?"

Song Yu's face turned red in a flash. She stared at his handsome and graceful face in disbelief. How could he say something so shameless? Her lips were trembling slightly, her body was heating up and her face was boiling. She felt like smoke was coming out of her ears.

"Should we try it when we get home tonight?" Qi Chengzhi asked in a gravelly voice. Immediately, his lips landed on her face, grinding against the corner of her lips. "Just like when we were dating."

Song Yu's face was completely red. She thought about the scenes from back then, arousing herself.

"Just stay in this outfit tonight." Qi Chengzhi's voice now carried a hint of eagerness. His thin lips rubbed against the corner of her lips then worked its way up to her ear, then slowly moved down again and kissed her neck.

With a flushed face, Song Yu thought about him wanting to roleplay in the bedroom.

Without thinking, she revealed the elegant curves on her neck, letting Qi Chengzhi's warm and numbing lips grind on it. She was starting to tremble. Her hands clutched tightly onto Qi Chengzhi's suit. Trapped in her seat by Qi Chengzhi, she appeared particularly submissive and helpless. Seeing this, Qi Chengzhi became even keener. He would not let go of her. Instead, he held onto her even tighter.

With all the kissing, Qi Chengzhi was getting aroused. Smelling the sweet scent coming off her body, his elegant and attractive hand subconsciously slithered to the knot tied on her Hanfu.

Suddenly, his phone rang, giving the couple who were fully indulged in each other a shock.

Song Yu was abruptly awoken. Realizing where Qi Chengzhi's hand was placed, she was so embarrassed she wanted to bury her head in sand. She thought that she was too easily aroused nowadays—with just a simple touch and a kiss, her mind would go blank. All she wanted to do was bury herself in his embrace.

Qi Chengzhi raised his thick eyebrows annoyedly. He grabbed the phone from the compartment between the seats and saw the words 'Qi Youxuan' displayed on the phone.

"Why are you calling?" Qi Chengzhi questioned irritatedly after answering the call. His voice was cold. One of his hands was still cupped on Song Yu's face, his finger gently brushing her hair. His thumb wandered around her cheeks, then finally stopped at the corner of her lips.

Gradually, his vexed expression dissolved into a tender look.

"Uncle, when my dad and I were driving here, I saw your car in front of us. Now, we have already gotten out of the car, so why haven't you?" Qi Youxuan's tiny hand was held by Qi Chenglin. He was speaking on the phone while walking with Qi Chenglin.

"..." Qi Chengzhi squinted. That brat was quite the busybody. "You two are here too?"

"That's right. We're walking towards you guys right now." Qi Youxuan said innocently, not aware of the situation.

"..." Qi Chengzhi hung up with a dark expression.

"..." Confused, Qi Youxuan stared at his chubby little hand that was holding his Totoro phone. In a clear voice, he ranted, "Ah, this Uncle, how could he hang up so abruptly like this?"

Qi Chenglin glanced at his son but did not say a word. As they walked, they saw a black Range Rover's doors open just a few steps away from them. They watched as Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu got out.

"Uncle, Auntie." Song Yu heard Qi Youxuan's melodic voice loud and clear.

She turned toward the direction of the voice and saw Qi Youxuan dressed in Detective Conan's blue suit. On top of his white shirt, he had a big red bowtie. A pair of lensless black glasses sat on his little nose, covering half his face.

Qi Chenglin's outfit was no different from what he usually wore—a suit. Standing beside Qi Chengzhi, no one would have guessed these two were attending a movie-themed party.

"Auntie, you look exceptionally beautiful today," Qi Youxuan praised in his crisp child's voice. Looking up, his clear large eyes stared expectantly at Song Yu's belly. "Auntie, I heard Uncle said that my little brother can move in your tummy now."

"Mmhmm." Song Yu nodded with a smile. She could not help but shoot a glance at Qi Chengzhi. She did not know when he had announced this.

"Can I feel it?" the little boy asked expectantly.

Seeing his stunning little face, no one would have the heart to refuse the child's requests. "Of course you can. Even so, he's not moving now, so maybe you won't feel it."

Nonetheless, the kid still placed his petite hand on Song Yu's stomach gently. It felt different from Qi Chengzhi's hand; the boy's hand was soft and small—they felt much lighter as if they were weightless. Seeing his tiny hand, Song Yu's heart was moved. Now that she was going to be a mother, she loved Qi Youxuan even more.

"I can't feel a thing." The child's eyebrows squeezed firmly together. He looked distressed.

"He doesn't move constantly, only once in a while," Song Yu explained with a smile.

"We shouldn't stand here any longer. Let's go in," Qi Chengzhi said coolly.

Qi Youxuan moved his hand away and grabbed Qi Chenglin's hand. The four of them walked toward Dynasty together. "Can he really move in there?"

"Of course. If you rest your palm on top, you can feel the pulses," Song Yu replied as she placed her hand on her stomach. "Nevertheless, you can only feel it when he moves."

An expectant expression flashed across the child's face. "Auntie, can you tell me the next time he moves?"

"Sure." Song Yu smiled as she brushed Qi Youxuan's hair tenderly.

Thus, the little boy resolved to not move an inch apart from his aunt the entire night.

The four of them reached Dynasty's front door. When they saw the person awaiting them at the entrance, they slowed down and eventually came to a stop.

Mu Huaisheng came over and nodded at Qi Chenglin and Song Yu before turning to Qi Chengzhi, requesting, "Can we talk?"

Song Yu no longer had a good impression of Mu Huaisheng. Although what Mu Sisi did was on her and the blame should not fall on Mu Huaisheng's head, Song Yu was still unsatisfied with Mu Huaisheng's inability to control his younger sister. He clearly knew what Mu Sisi was doing and what kind of person she was, yet, as her brother, he did not forcefully constrain her but only warned her verbally. Evidently, words were useless, resulting in Mu Sisi causing a ton of trouble for them.

Qi Chengzhi's gaze was indifferent. He nodded with a stern expression. Turning to Qi Chenglin, he said, "Take care of Song Yu for me."

Song Yu did not oppose to it. She followed Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan inside. Turning back to glance at Qi Chengzhi, she saw him smiling at her placatively. Only when she was out of sight did Qi Chengzhi shift his gaze.

On the way here, Mu Huaisheng had pondered upon many things. Qi Chengzhi invited The Eight Great Families to Grandmother Qi's birthday party, yet, as his friend, he was not invited. Even so, Mu Huaisheng could guess the reason for that but he could not wrap his head around why Qi Chengzhi had abruptly become so extreme.

"Why are The Eight Great Families working together to sanction the Mu family? Since we came here, we did not interact much with the other families, so I thought I should direct my questions to you. I believe I'll understand more this way," Mu Huaisheng stated. He caught sight of Yan Beicheng behind Qi Chengzhi. Yan Beicheng was heading their way with a pair of middle-aged couple.

Qi Chengzhi turned and walked toward a corner. Mu Huaisheng could only catch a glimpse of Yan Beicheng before having to follow Qi Chengzhi.

"That's right, our family asked the other families for a small favor," Qi Chengzhi revealed in a distant voice with his hands in his pockets.

Having things develop to this point with an old friend, he was definitely feeling a little uneasy.

Mu Huaisheng pouted and laughed wryly. The 'small favor' had caused the Mu family a load of trouble. Mu Sisi may not know yet, but Mu Huaisheng knew that the Mu family was planning to focus on markets within the country. If the beginning was already this rough, it would be hard to proceed onward.

Sour boy and spicy girl 酸兒辣女 - a popular way of predicting a baby's gender based on the mother's diet; if the pregnant mother likes to eat sour food, the baby is a boy; if she likes spicy food, then it would be a girl