Chapter 5

Ji Qingyu’s wine glass was empty again. She glanced at Feng Chengze, who rubbed his temples, clearly looking tired as well.

“Well, I’ll go rest first,” she said. The wine was starting to take effect, not only making her cheeks flush but also bringing a wave of drowsiness, making her feel a bit dizzy.

“Okay,” he nodded calmly.

Ji Qingyu stood up and started walking towards the room. The plane jolted again, and she lost her balance. Feng Chengze reacted quickly, his body moving faster than his mind, and caught her with his arm. When they both came to their senses, she was sitting on his lap, her hand on his shoulder, their eyes meeting.

The soul was from five years ago. But the body had been entwined countless times. Even Feng Chengze couldn’t resist such an attraction. His hand caressed her slender waist, not pushing her away immediately.
The plain wedding ring on his left ring finger reflected a dim light. She had just drunk champagne, and her breath carried a fruity aroma mingled with a sweet but not overpowering scent from her fair neck.

Ji Qingyu was held by him, and the fabric was soft and thin. She could even feel the warmth of his hand against her skin. The scenes from the novels weren’t lying; she felt herself go “soft” instantly. Fortunately, Feng Chengze had his principles, and she still had her dignity. The eye contact seemed to last a long time, but in reality, it was only a few seconds. She quickly stood up, resting her hand on the back of the chair, and said awkwardly, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Feng Chengze subtly changed his sitting posture.

Ji Qingyu felt that if she stayed any longer, she would be embarrassed to the point of suffocation. She dared not look at him again, lowered her head, and quickly walked away. Her steps were swift and decisive, as if she could sign up for a project. She closed the door, lay down on the bed, and was about to fall asleep when she remembered she had been drinking. She got up, went to the bathroom she had brought with her, rinsed her mouth, and brushed her teeth. When she looked up, she was startled by her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks flushed, the redness spreading down to her neck. Her eyes sparkled as if she had just shared a passionate kiss. She splashed her face with cold water again. By the time she returned to bed, she felt completely at ease. She started to doubt herself, feeling wild inside and awkward—this was a side of herself she barely recognized!

When she was with her senior, the most they did was hold hands.

What is the ambiguous stage? It was just limited to flirtatious words, and if they couldn’t resist physical contact, holding hands or touching hair was about as far as it went. Before she could even share a kiss with her senior, Feng Yu appeared out of nowhere.

She and Feng Yu were in a proper relationship. She always thought of herself as quite innocent. She read novels, but even after reading them, she didn’t feel as overwhelmed as some people described. She never expected to have this side of herself.

“…Sigh.”

Ji Qingyu pulled the blanket over her face, trying to clear her mind. Before long, she fell into a deep sleep high above the ground.

Outside, Feng Cheng propped his face with his hand, trying to calm his racing thoughts. After a while, he finally let out a sigh of relief and composed himself. He focused on the files on his computer, knowing he had to get into work mode as soon as possible, or he’d be buried in tasks.

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed in. Ji Qingyu didn’t sleep deeply. When she woke up and realized she was still on the plane, she was stunned for a long time. Finally, she had to accept reality, propping herself up with her elbow, crawling to the window, and lifting the shade. She couldn’t help but exclaim—

“Too beautiful.”

The clouds, in clusters, seem to have been dyed with color. Strive to look down, and you will see the endless mountain ranges. She stared blankly, forgetting her words.

Such beautiful scenery, will it seem ordinary in her eyes five years later?
Has she already been to many places with Feng Chengze?
Does she feel happy five years from now?

Unsure how long she had been looking at the beautiful scenery, Ji Qingyu finally got tired of it. Only then did she lift the blanket, get up, shuffle in her slippers to the suitcase, and pick out a strappy long dress. This was what she chose after thinking it over. Later, when she goes to pick up Yuan Bao, it will be more convenient if the skirt reaches her calves when she bends down to pick up the child. She was reassured that no one would suddenly burst in through the door, but she still changed into her dress as quickly as possible. Then she walked into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, washed her face, casually tied up her long hair, and put on a face mask since there was still time. Only after that did she leave the bathroom and hear a knock on the door. She could now immediately tell whether it was someone else knocking or if it was Feng Chengze knocking.

“Come in.”

The door was pulled open, and Feng Chengze, who had been lying outside for a few hours, looked somewhat disheveled. His white shirt was a bit wrinkled, and stubble had appeared on his chin.

Ji Qingyu had a face mask on, and this scene made Feng Chengze pause for a moment. He began to realize that accepting a woman by his side meant she would be present in his life at all times.

“I’m going to wash up.” He said.

“……Oh.” The room was spacious, and Ji Qingyu, afraid of blocking his way, carefully made way for him.

He asked, “Do you know which suitcase is mine?”

“The black one.” Ji Qingyu realized she answered too quickly and added, “I guessed.”

She couldn’t possibly tell him that she had rummaged through the cherry blossom pink and that vintage-patterned box…

“Okay.” Feng Chengze nodded. The suitcase wasn’t locked, so he easily opened it. The clothes were neatly packed. He found some underwear, a clean shirt, and trousers, awkwardly stood up, and went to the bathroom.

There was also a bathroom outside, but others occupied it.

Ji Qingyu sat on the nearby sofa, looking down at her phone. She was mainly listening to Yuan Bao’s voice messages. After all, they had to go to the kindergarten immediately to pick up the child once they got off the plane, so they needed to know how to communicate in advance.

Feng Chengze originally intended to close the door and shave, but suddenly, he heard a faint girl’s voice. He tilted his head, hesitated for a few seconds, and reminded her, “You can turn up the volume a bit.”

Ji Qingyu responded with an “mm” and increased the volume. A clear child’s voice filled the entire room: “Mommy, I miss you so much~~”

Feng Chengze paused for a moment. The razor was already silent, but he still used the lowest setting, multitasking by shaving while listening to the child speak.

“Mommy, don’t be Daddy’s secretary~”

“Be my secretary in the future, okay~ Then you can go to kindergarten with me.”

Ji Qingyu couldn’t help but chuckle.

Five years later, she wasn’t Feng Chengze’s secretary at all; in fact, she never had been. But why was there this inside joke? She felt a bit guilty, always thinking it was related to her. The child didn’t understand now, but when they grew up and remembered this…

Feng Chengze probably guessed what was going on. He would never let his wife be his secretary.

“Hurry back, you two!!”

The child’s voice became agitated: “Grandma dressed me in the wrong kindergarten uniform again today!”

The next moment, she added, “But Grandma realized her mistake, and I’ve already forgiven her.”

Feng Chengze’s eyes also held a hint of a smile. The fresh scent of aftershave soon filled the air, and Ji Qingyu could smell it.

After shaving off the stubble, he brushed his teeth and washed his face. It was only at this point that he realized he had mixed up the order; he was used to brushing his teeth and washing his face before using aftershave.

“…”

Ji Qingyu had only intended to play Yuan Bao’s words but accidentally pressed the wrong button. Her gentle and patient voice came through the phone: “Baby, Mommy forgot to add Grandma to your class group. Grandma didn’t see the teacher’s notice, so you can’t blame her. Don’t be mad at Grandma, okay?”

Ji Qingyu’s hand trembled slightly. She swore she had never been this gentle with anyone in her life.

Feng Chengze, who was brushing his teeth, also paused, letting the toothbrush vibrate in his mouth, then continued as if nothing had happened.

Ji Qingyu couldn’t help but mutter, “Looks like I passed the parent meeting.”

She had been most worried about meeting the parents. At that time, she thought that even Feng Yu’s brother was unwilling to say more than a few words to her, so what about his parents? She feared she wouldn’t even hear “hello” or “goodbye.”

Feng Chengze rinsed his mouth and washed his face. It seemed he had just noticed the bottles and jars on the sink, and he had a hard time finding the men’s facial cleanser. After washing up, he had to close the bathroom door.

The airplane’s bathroom was too cramped for Feng Chengze; even turning around was not smooth. He stood under the shower, letting the cold water wash over him, feeling much more comfortable. After turning off the shower, he hurriedly dried off the water droplets on his body, put on his shirt, and fastened the top button meticulously, ensuring no one could glimpse his privacy. Only then did he open the door and step out of the bathroom. The coldness and composure on his face suggested he could immediately attend several meetings at the company.

Ji Qingyu peeled off her face mask, massaging her cheeks and neck with her fingers while pretending to be busy on her phone.

Feng Chengze, with the clean scent of having just bathed, stood leisurely not far from her, slightly tilting his head as he slowly tied his tie, as if he had just woken up from the bed she had lain in, washed up, and changed. He had completely washed away the shock and panic from yesterday. Despite having almost sat stiffly outside for an entire night, he had no trace of fatigue.

Ji Qingyu marveled inwardly. This person’s energy was terrifyingly high; no wonder they were someone who accomplished great things…

About ten minutes later, Ji Qingyu, who had washed her face again, and Feng Chengze came out one after the other. The flight attendants on the plane timely served breakfast.

Assistant Zhang rested well and sat at the dining table with them. When he saw Ji Qingyu adding milk and sugar to her coffee, Assistant Zhang smiled and said, “Has Madam’s taste changed?”

Feng Chengze was reading a document and paused upon hearing this. Beside him was a cup of rich and authentic Italian coffee. This was his preference; he liked the strong, bitter taste of Italian coffee.

Ji Qingyu: “…”

She had just taken a sip of coffee and almost choked, unable to handle it at all. She looked at Feng Chengze for help. She had only met this Assistant Zhang yesterday and didn’t know what to say to avoid giving herself away. The current situation was really too difficult for a freshly graduated student like her; she wasn’t from a film academy.

Feng Chengze said lightly, “It’s nice to have something sweet occasionally.” He gestured for Ji Qingyu to add milk to his coffee, “Let me try yours.”

The scene of the blunder instantly turned into a show of affection.

“…Okay.” As she added milk, the color of the coffee in the cup began to change. Ji Qingyu, worried about not getting it right, stopped after pouring half a cup, “How much sugar do you want?”

How much?

Feng Chengze feared being overwhelmed by sweetness, “Just one piece.”

Ji Qingyu happily added sugar for him, saying, “It should be fine. I’ve tried it.”

It was just right for her; a bit bitter but within an acceptable range. Having a cup in the morning indeed refreshed her mind.

Feng Cheng could only take a sip out of politeness, barely noticeable, and frowned slightly. Seeing her looking at him, he had to suppress the urge to pour the coffee away and said reluctantly, “Not bad.”