Chapter 117: Hearing the Conversation Between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi on the Staircase

Yu Qianying could not help but stare at him. It scarcely crossed her mind that Qi Chengzhi would perform such a personal gesture towards everyone there.

As insignificant as the gesture was, it was so much more meaningful when it was Qi Chengzhi who did it.

His fingers were fair-skinned and his finger joints were very distinct. When they held up the teapot, it made up for an elegant sight.

“Forget about being the lead. I’m too old, I don’t have that kind of energy or strength. Just a scene or two is good enough for me to showcase my acting skills. I don’t mind if it’s a minor scene, I’m going to be a star anyway,” she said confidently. Her expression then changed all of a sudden, and she looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi. “Are you bribing me?”

Qi Chengzhi did not deny it, but simply smiled and replied, “There’s more where that came from.”

The old lady was certain that her grandson was bribing her.

She wanted to speak, but the doorbell interrupted her.

Yu Qianying frowned. Visitors just kept on showing up on that day. Was everyone so free on that particular day that they just had to come all at once?

With no clue as to who came to visit, Yu Qianying stood up and headed for the door. After opening the door and seeing who it was, Yu Qianying’s expression turned sullen.

“Qianying,” Xia Wenna greeted. Her expression was an awkward one and although she wanted to smile, she was somehow unable to do so. She spotted a few pairs of shoes at the door, both men’s and women’s, so she asked, “You have guests?”

“It’s been years since I last saw you. What brings you here today?” Yu Qianying asked coldly. She was courteous with the old lady, but she treated Xia Wenna with nearly the same attitude as she did with Liang Lihua.

“If you have guests, I’ll come here another day.” Xia Wenna felt slightly embarrassed. She was already on the way there when the old lady called her.

She thought about it the entire night and struggled to come to terms with the decision that she made. She went there with a cheque in her purse.

She stayed up last night just to make a decision on that issue. Dark eye bags were even present when she left home, and it took her a great deal of makeup to conceal it.

Her hand then pressed her bag subconsciously. It was like she could feel its weightiness despite not being able to touch the thin cheque that was inside.

“Why do I hear Xia Wenna’s voice?” The old lady’s voice resonated from within the house, and a few seconds later, she walked to the door.

Xia Wenna blurted out in surprise, “Mother, why are you here?”

Grandmother Qi looked at Xia Wenna and then at Yu Qianying. Xia Wenna did not look like she was paying her ‘family-in-law’ a visit, but rather, she seemed intent on tearing the happy couple apart.

Thus, the old lady walked out, held Xia Wenna’s shoulder, and turned to Yu Qianying, saying, “Xiao Yu, let me talk to my daughter-in-law for a moment.”

After saying that, she brought Xia Wenna down to the floor below and heard Yu Qianying closing the door upstairs.

“Mother, why are you here?” Xia Wenna grasped her bag tightly as she was led by the old lady.

Xia Wenna was unaccustomed to hearing the old lady call Yu Qiangying ‘Xiao Yu’.

“I haven’t asked you either. Why are you here?” the old lady retorted with the same question.

Noticing how Xia Wenna seemed glum, hesitant to speak, and noticeably flustered, the old lady narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me you were going to pressure Song Yu’s parents into convincing Song Yu to break up with Qi Chengzhi?”

“Mother, even if they are together, something might happen in the future.” Xia Wenna kept her voice low and said, “We might be able to disregard what other people will say, but…”

“But what?” The elderly lady became angrier and more angsty. Her grandson was dating a girl before her very eyes, and that was a sign that great-grandchildren were on the horizon. What was all the fuss with Xia Wenna?

“Do you really like Yu Keyao that much? Do you know what kind of people her family are? They’re all a bunch of snobs!” Anger was imminent when the old lady brought up Yu Keyao’s family.

“I wore plain clothes today, without any makeup, and that Yu Keyao’s mother, whatever her name was…” the old lady began, prompting Xia Wenna to fill in the blanks by uttering ‘Liang Lihua’ softly. The old lady could care less about the details and simply waved it off.

“Liang whatever her name was, she bumped into Xiao Fan while he was carrying the crates of wine, and she immediately went crazy. She was being so unreasonable, cursing at us and saying we lack manners and all that. I wonder who’s the rude one! She thought that I was some normal old lady, but even if I was, did she have the right to treat me that way? With that hidden manipulativeness of hers, if she knew who I was, I’d probably be able to push her down the stairs, and she’d still be all smiles and apologizing for blocking my way!

“I’m telling you now, don’t force my grandson to wed a girl he doesn’t like. Chengze’s only been dead for a few years, have you forgotten so quickly? If Chengzhi and Song Yu really love each other and they are happy together, why do you need to care about what other people say? They’re living their lives with each other, and it has nothing to do with any outsider. Are those people going to give you a grandson? Okay, say you separate the two and force Qi Chengzhi to marry another woman. You know Qi Chengzhi’s attitude, if he doesn’t like her, it means he doesn’t like her. Are you really going to let him spend the rest of his days suffering?

“If he’s together with someone he doesn’t like, I don’t think he’ll even touch her. If that happens, when will I be able to carry a great-grandchild? Wouldn’t you be worried if the married couple doesn’t have feelings for each other and constantly fight every day?” The old lady’s eyes began tearing as she spoke. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eye sockets before blowing her nose slightly, saying, “Tell me, what if something like Chengze happens again? What then?”

“I’m already so old. Do you want me to see my grandson die before me and make me heartbroken? Chengzhi is the brightest prospect in our household, and he’s going to be the leader of the family someday. The Qi family will be relying on him. It would be such a pity if he can’t follow his heart in finding a wife. I’ve thought about it, and I feel sad for all the Qi family grandkids. Every single one, except for Chengyue, are unable to follow their own wishes.”

“Everyone sees them and says that they’re born with a silver spoon. Since young, they get everything they want, and of course, everyone envies that. I, on the other hand, pity them. Why must they be born in a family like the Qi family, to parents like you? Leaving aside Chengze’s death, why did Chenglin bring back Youxuan, whose mother no one even knows? Why did he break up with his fiancée? Was it not all of you who kicked up a fuss and insisted on them getting married even though he didn’t like her? It ended up as a tragedy, didn’t it?”

“Chengzhi’s already thirty-five. It’s not easy for him to find a girl he likes. If you still want to break them up, what kind of heart do you have inside your chest? Are you not his birth mother?”

Xia Wenna felt hurt, and her eyes became teary too. With trembling lips, she choked and said, “Mother, these words you’re saying, do you know how hurt I am? I was pregnant for ten months, and I suffered much more giving birth to him than I did with Chengji. How can I not be his birth mother? I want nothing more than to give him the best. Why should I stop him from having his own happiness?”

Xia Wenna sobbed and sniffled, then took out her phone from the bag. She scrolled to the picture she had taken the previous night and showed it to the old lady. “Mother, take a look for yourself.”

The elderly lady sniffled and harbored some doubts as she took the phone from Xia Wenna. She may be old, but she was quite familiar with all those gadgets. Handphones were not a problem for her at least, since she was also fond of scrolling through her WeChat moments every day.

After her fingers swiped the screen a few times, her expression changed instantly.

“Where did you get this?” the old lady asked solemnly. She lowered her voice as much as she could and her expression was unusually stern.

“Where else would I get it? How much power would I need to have to even do such a thing? Qi Chengzhi was the one who showed it to me yesterday. Before leaving, I managed to take photos of it.” Xia Wenna took the phone back from the old lady and placed it into her handbag.

“Mother, even if we don’t interfere with them now, can this thing be kept hidden from them for an entire lifetime? If Song Yu finds out, will she still be able to continue being with Chengzhi? The Song family will not just let the matter slide, that’s for certain! If Song Yu finds out after they get married and divorces him, tell me, Mother, is that happiness?”

The old lady’s head hurt immediately. Being of old age, she really did not like these troublesome things. She placed her fingers on the temples and began massaging while constantly exclaiming, “Oh dear, oh dear!”

“So, what I’m thinking is, before we get to the point of no return, it’s better for them to go through a period of sadness and break up now when their feelings aren’t too deep yet.” Xia Wenna then continued, “Regarding all this, Qi Chengzhi is the one who had done something unforgivable to the Song family, but in essence, it’s our family, the Qi family, that had done wrong to the Song family. Mother, tell me, now that you know what’s going to happen in the future, are you still going to let them be together?”

The elderly lady’s heart was in a total mess. She no longer cared about how dirty the wall was and leaned helplessly against it while she massaged her temples.

“Tell me, did Qi Chengzhi willingly show it to you?” the old lady questioned.

Xia Wenna nodded and explained, “He wants me to feel guilty, to feel that I let the Song family down, so I’ll stop making things difficult for Song Yu by objecting to their relationship. Of course, I feel terrible for the Song family, so today…I brought them a cheque so they’ll be able to build the company back up again. It may not be as strong as it used to, but it’ll put them in a better position than they are now.

“But I’m worried that this thing can’t be kept hidden for long. What’s going to happen then? Wouldn’t the Qi family and the Song family be in an even bigger mess?”

The old lady took in a deep breath, then exhaled it out again. When all was said and done, she was still the matriarch of the Qi family, and by the time her expression turned stern and her gaze became frightening, Xia Wenna did not dare to look at her directly in the eye.

“Since Chengzhi told you willingly, he trusts that you wouldn’t betray him as his mother, and honestly, if you want to break them apart, you can just tell them the truth. I believe that irregardless of Song Yu’s reaction to it, her parents would definitely not allow her to be with Chengzhi once they found out,” the elderly lady opined.

“You’re right, Mother. I wouldn’t betray him.” Xia Wenna looked down and sighed anxiously.

“That’s that, then. Just treat it as though you didn’t know about all of this, and keep quiet about it forever. Delete the picture in the phone, just in case someone else sees it.” The elderly lady stared at Xia Wenna, wanting the latter to take her phone outright that instant. Relief set in only when she saw Xia Wenna delete the picture right in front of her eyes.

“Alright, you can go home.” The old lady waved her hand and dismissed Xia Wenna.

“Mother, are you…” Xia Wenna looked at the old lady in shock but found herself tongue-tied when she opened her mouth.

“Since Chengzhi had chosen to do what he did at that time, he should’ve had understood the risks involved, hence, possessed the capability to bear the consequences, come what may. Now that he’s still decided to be with Song Yu, there is no doubt that he can bear it all.” The elderly lady looked at Xia Wenna. “He’s your son, surely you understand that aspect of him?”

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“Mother, you’re still going to agree to the both of them being together?” Xia Wenna asked in surprise because she understood the meaning behind the old lady’s words.

Grandmother Qi pursed her lips and stared at Xia Wenna for some time before remarking, “Can you object to it? If you don’t want to tell Song Yu everything, what reason could you possibly have for objecting? Even if you tell Song Yu, will Chengzhi just give up on her? It’d be better if we just keep quiet so everyone can live happily ever after.”

Xia Wenna had something to add, but the old lady dismissed her without a word. Before she left, the old lady even managed to give her a warning. “The next time you come, it better be as an in-law. That cheque inside the bag? Tear it up for me right now!”

There was no one behind the old lady after returning to the Song’s family’s home, leaving Yu Qianying to wonder as to where Xia Wenna had gone.

The elderly lady offered an explanation, “Chengzhi’s mother remembered that she had something to do, so she had to leave. Xiao Song, Xiao Yu, let’s continue where we left off.”

…

…

Jian Yi sat in the car with his mind filled only with the exchange between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi.

Zhou Mingyan had been telling him all about Song Yu’s faults, and after a while, the conversation steered to the time she went by the Song family house to send the wedding invitation.

Her tone seemed very impolite.

Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue would be going on their honeymoon the next day. Therefore, since his wife was having a beauty session today, Jian Yi thought it was the perfect opportunity to visit the Song family and apologize to Song Yu’s parents.

However, it did not occur to him that on his way up the building, he would overhear the conversation between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi on the staircase.

Even though the two of them had never explicitly said what it was that Qi Chengzhi did, their entire conversation betrayed the fact that he had done something unforgivable towards the Song family. It was something so serious with the potential to ruin their relationship even.

Jian Yi’s right hand was placed on the steering wheel while his left elbow rested near the window. His left index finger was placed on his lips and he frowned while pondering over the things he had heard.

From Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi’s reaction, Qi Chengzhi must have done something so shocking that the Song family could fall out with them completely, and regardless of what might happen, it would lead them to strictly object against Song Yu’s relationship…

Jian Yi came to a realization which resulted in a dramatic change of expression.

The only possibility he could think of was the Song family’s bankruptcy.

Back then, the Song family went bankrupt without any news about it. It was particularly sudden, and no one knew the details of what really went down.

‘Was it possible that Qi Chengzhi was involved in the bankruptcy?’

‘Could he have been the one who plotted it all, even?’

‘Why would he do that?’

‘It couldn’t possibly be just to prevent Song Yu and Qi Chengji from getting married, could it?’

At the time of Song Yu’s engagement to Qi Chengji, if the Song family went bankrupt, the Qi family would definitely have stopped the marriage, considering the attitude they had back then.

Qi Chengze was still alive then, and because the Qi family was still a powerhouse, they would certainly not have wanted an in-law that would give them no benefit.

As the youngest, it was a wonder how Qi Chengji could endure being used just to connect both families through marriage.

The finger that Jian Yi placed just below his nose slowly formed into a fist. ‘If that was the case, how long had Qi Chengzhi been eyeing on Song Yu?’

‘Did he really go into hiding for so many years before making a move on Song Yu?’

‘If that was really the case, his patience was something to be reckoned with!’

‘How detailed were his plans!’

‘During this time, how much did Qi Chengzhi have to plot in order for him to take a step at a time to reach to where he was?’

‘Did he really spend so much effort on Song Yu?’

Jian Yi found it more and more unfathomable as he thought about it. ‘Could a person like that even exist? Someone who would be willing to execute such an arrangement, one that was capable of creating a disaster, just for the sake of one woman?’

The most shocking part was that it was all happening to Qi Chengzhi.

It became more and more outrageous when Jian Yi pondered deeper into it. Nonetheless, it still seemed logical, because there was no other explanation that he could think of.

Jian Yi tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His fingers were slender too, with well-defined joints. He had attractive hands, and at that time, veins were bulging out from the back of his palm.

He blinked his eyes, which slowly turned red, as though he was engaged in a show of strength with some invisible entity.

In the end, he clenched his teeth tightly and punched the steering wheel. Then, he took a few slow, deep breaths. He trembled at first when he took those breaths, but slowly, he began to calm down. Only then did he leave.

…

…

The old lady was finally ready to say her goodbyes. She stood up, took her bag, and held Yu Qianying’s hand. “Xiao Yu, if you have the time, come over to our house for a walk. Bring Song Yu along. It’s just me and my husband all day, and it’s pointless for us to spend our days arguing. Do come and have a chat with me.”

She took out the Yellow Calendar while saying that, and after flipping it she exclaimed, “Oh dear, the day after tomorrow is a good day, very suitable for journeys. Come over on that day then, the both of you! Coincidentally, there will be a dance practice on that day for a competition. Maybe we can dance a bit, and if there’s nothing for you to do, it’s good for you to stretch your legs there!”

“Madam, I…” Yu Qianying wanted to decline, but the way the old lady held her hand so intimately left her no chance to reject the invitation.

“It’s set then. Look at my aging arms and legs, you can’t always expect me to come here right? My hip is killing me after going up flights of stairs to your home.” The old lady placed her hand on her waist and held Qi Chengzhi’s arm. “Come on, elder grandson. Lend me some support.”

“In that case, I’ll be going. No need for you to send me off.” She waved her hand at them. “Chengzhi, come and send me.”

Qi Chengzhi knew that the old lady had something she wanted to tell him privately. Aunt Yang and Xiao Fan were there, so technically there was no need for him to send her off.

It was not easy for Qi Chengzhi to have an ally like his grandmother, so he felt it unwise to reject her request.

He looked over to Song Yu, and she nodded at him. Yu Qianying’s expression did not seem too pleased. It was a sign that she, too, had some private matters to talk to Song Yu about. Even if Qi Chengzhi stayed, Yu Qianying might send him on his way.

Song Yu glanced at Yu Qianying and saw her unhappy expression, but still, she could not resist going over to Qi Chengzhi and kneaded his arm to let him feel at ease.

Her dependence and closeness to Qi Chengzhi made Yu Qianying feel powerless, as though her daughter was going to leave the family.

Looking at Song Yu’s demeanor, her heart seemed fully committed to Qi Chengzhi: she poured her heart out to him, and a couple of sentences would not suffice to make her change her mind.

Qi Chengzhi smiled at Song Yu and saw her tender and submissive appearance. Her distinctly monochrome eyes looked at him innocently and her gaze was full of reliance. When he looked at her, faint blushes even appeared on her face.

Yu Keyao’s blush was different, more feigned. However, when Song Yu blushed, it was as though she was very self-conscious about how she blushed so easily. The look on her face seemed a little conflicted, but it was exceptionally intriguing.

Qi Chengzhi felt a stir in his heart when she looked at him like that. He wanted to touch her face dearly and kiss her.

Nevertheless, Yu Qianying and Song Donglin were present, so all he could do was restrain himself. His warm, dry hand touched the hand that held him and softly kneaded it.

The feeling of being held by him once more was incredibly satisfying. Ever since they came in, he did not show too much affection with Song Yu for fear that it might provoke Yu Qianying. He did not even hold her hand. The only thing they did was sit primly, but not too closely, on the sofa.

“I’ll see you out.” She could not care less about what Yu Qianying would think. She simply held his elegant hand and rubbed her thumb on the joints of his fingers.