Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Song Qingcheng blinked and looked up to see the corner of a navy blue pocket handkerchief.
The next moment, a warm wet towel covered her mouth and nose. Then, she heard a man’s gentle and quiet voice. “Use your fingers to pinch your nose. Don’t tilt your head up.”
The man’s voice seemed to have magical power. Song Qingcheng instinctively followed his instructions. She pinched her nose with one hand and used the other to wipe off the bloodstains with a wet towel. The hand supporting her head retracted. Immediately after, her shoulders sank, and her thin body was instantly enveloped by something warm.
Song Qingcheng turned her head slightly and saw the man’s suit resting on her shoulders.
The man behind her stopped a passing waiter. “Bring me a glass of hot water.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.” The attendant nodded respectfully.
The waiter left. Song Qingcheng’s lowered eyelashes fluttered as she looked up. Her gaze traveled past the collar of a white shirt and stopped at the man’s tightly pursed lips for a second. Finally, she met his eyes and smiled faintly. “What a coincidence to meet Mr. Yu here.”
Yu Tingchuan’s facial features could not be seen clearly in the light. He looked down at the girl in front of him who had her head tilted up. After a while, he said, “Why didn’t you return to the banquet hall?”
“It’s a little stuffy inside so I’m sitting here to take a breather.” After answering, Song Qingcheng paused and asked, “Mr. Yu, are you here to take a breather, too?”
“I came out to take a call,” Yu Tingchuan said.
The nosebleed had already stopped. Song Qingcheng’s gaze rested on the man’s suit, and her tone became more relaxed. “I thought I’d catch a cold tonight for sure.”
Yu Tingchuan’s profound gaze swept across her evening gown. He remarked, “For a birthday party like this, there’s no rule to say you have to be dressed to the nines.”
“I know,” Song Qingcheng said quietly, “It’s just that there’s someone here I’ve been hoping to see.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head and stared at the blood-stained towel in her hands. Her voice seemed to come from afar. “I wanted to attract his attention so I chose this dress.”
After saying this, she could hear her own heart pounding wildly.
Some things, when done for the first time, would still end up looking quite feeble no matter how sincerely and seriously one was in executing it.
At this point, a buzzing sound was heard.
Yu Tingchuan picked up his phone and walked towards the French window as he took the call. “Yes, I’ll be back soon. You don’t have to wait for me.”
Song Qingcheng stared at his broad shoulders, her mind in a mess. He behaved normally as though he didn’t understand her hint at all. She was disappointed, but at the same time, she also felt somewhat fortunate. As to why she should feel fortunate, she didn’t dare to delve into it… for fear of confronting her own truth.
Not long after, Yu Tingchuan returned from the phone call.
He looked at the girl sitting there and said slowly, “No matter how good you wish to look, it shouldn’t be at the expense of your own health.”
His tone was calm like an elder teaching an ignorant junior.
Song Qingcheng looked up and met his deep eyes. After a moment, she turned her head away and muttered to herself, “So what if I have my health but lose my beauty? So what if—?”
Sir, your water.” The service staff appeared, carrying two glasses of water.
Yu Tingchuan nodded. “Leave them on the tea table.”
After the waiter left, Song Qingcheng heard the man’s mellow voice again. “You’re still young now. You may regret your decision in the future.”
With that, he left the rest area with one hand tucked in his pocket and his phone in his other hand.
Song Qingcheng stared blankly at Yu Tingchuan’s back view as he walked away. It was as if she could still hear those words that sounded like a hint. Did he really not realize that she had expressed her interest? Or was he unwilling to give her a response? At this point, she was no longer sure. She leaned against the sofa dejectedly, her eyes suddenly stinging.
When she looked away, she realized that the man’s jacket was still on her shoulders.
…
The birthday party did not end until 10 PM.
Song Qingcheng did not wait for Lu Xishan and his wife. She left the hotel and hailed a taxi to return to Chanson Garden.
After entering the house, she ignored the nanny who came out to look around. She threw off her high heels and went straight upstairs. She took a quick shower, and just as she lay down on the bed, she received a call from Shen Che.
“Why did you want me to find out where Yu Tingchuan lives? What are you up to?” After sending the address to Qingcheng, he had been feeling uneasy, afraid that she would do something stupid.
Song Qingcheng said faintly, “I didn’t do anything. Plans can’t keep up with changes.”
“What plans?” Shen Che asked.
Recalling the scene in the rest area, Song Qingcheng shut her eyes. “I was being too hasty.”
Such an answer made Shen Che even more uncertain, “What plans? Tell me!”
“I wanted to meet him by chance near his house, and at the same time, stage an accident so that he’d accompany me to the hospital. With no one to assist me tonight, I could’ve been carried by him like a princess.”
She said it casually, but Shen Che knew that this plan was real.
“What changed?” he asked.
Song Qingcheng smiled. “What changed is that Yu Tingchuan’s suit jacket is now on my bed.”
Shen Che’s expression changed. “The two of you…”
“No…”
Perhaps she was too tired, she closed her eyes and fell asleep as she chatted.
…
Song Qingcheng was woken up by the commotion downstairs.
She was just sitting up when the heavy bedroom door was pushed open with force. Song Qingcheng did not move but watched calmly as Ge Wenjuan walked towards her aggressively.
However, she ultimately did not deliver the girl another slap.
Lu Xishan caught up with his wife. Compared to Ge Wenjuan, he was much calmer. “What exactly happened? Can’t you listen to the child explain first?”
“Lu Xishan, what did she promise you, and what has she done now?” Ge Wenjuan looked sharply at Song Qingcheng’s sleepy face as though she was about to skin her alive. “She’s harboring hopes of marrying into the Zhou family just because CEO Zhou chatted with her. She ought to realize where she is on the social ladder, and some places are beyond her.”
“It seems like, in Aunt’s eyes, I’m only worthy of someone like CEO Liu.” Under the light, Song Qingcheng’s thick and jet black hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her skin was fair, her eyes were bright, and she had a compelling charm about her.
Ge Wenjuan sneered. “Why, you think it’s too much of a compromise for you?”
“I just think a rare commodity can afford to wait a little longer.”
“A rare commodity?” Ge Wenjuan laughed like she had heard a joke when she heard this. “Don’t you know what kind of person you are? Ha, if you don’t marry CEO Liu, who else do you want to marry? Fine, if you really don’t want to marry CEO Liu, I won’t force you. As long as you pay back everything you owe the Lu family all these years, including your grandmother’s medical fees, I’ve roughly calculated it for you. It’s not much—two million yuan. If you don’t pay up in a month, then obediently marry CEO Liu!”
Song Qingcheng smiled and looked at Ge Wenjuan. “Auntie, you must keep your word.”
“Lu Xishan, this is your good niece!” Shaking off her husband’s grip, Ge Wenjuan picked up her handbag and left in a huff.