Chapter 35

It was the first time someone called her the Feather Princess!

Ji Qingyu was delighted by her daughter’s words, smiling broadly and overjoyed.

The mother and daughter hugged each other tightly. When Feng Jiayuan tried to kiss her, she turned her head away, only to meet Feng Chengze’s helpless yet calm gaze from the doorway. From an angle her daughter couldn’t see, she smiled at him, her eyes showing a trust that smart people could easily detect.

Perhaps he changed his mind on his own, or maybe it was Yuan Bao’s plea, but regardless, she was delighted that they came to take her home.

“Mommy put on makeup today,” she explained. It didn’t matter if a man messed up her makeup, as he seemed like someone who would live a long life, but her precious daughter couldn’t touch it at all.

“Oh!”

Ji Qingyu led Feng Jiayuan inside, where cute children’s slippers were in the shoe cabinet.

Feng Jiayuan kicked off her little leather shoes and put on the slippers, then dashed into the living room like a little cannonball. The first thing she did was to rummage through the snack basket quickly, find some juice, poke it open with a straw, and drink half a box in one go.

She even explained to her parents, “I was really thirsty.”

Since she had already drunk it, her parents couldn’t make her spit it out, so they let it go.

“Come in.” Seeing Feng Chengze still standing at the door, Ji Qingyu turned back to urge him.

He had no choice but to come in and change his shoes, asking, “Aren’t your parents home?”

“No, they went for a massage with my uncle and aunt.” Ji Qingyu remembered the sheets and quilt covers in the washing machine, and her eyes lit up, “You came just in time!”

Just in time. Usually, that wasn’t a good thing.

Five minutes later, Feng Chengze was carrying a bucket that looked out of place, with his shirt, trousers, and overall demeanor creating an inexplicable sense of humor. Ji Qingyu and Feng Jiayuan followed behind him, and the family of three entered the elevator. Although drying the sheets might only take ten minutes at most, new parents would never dare to leave their young child, who was still in kindergarten, alone at home, not even for a minute, so they all went together.

Dusk enveloped their figures.

Feng Jiayuan was ordered not to go anywhere. She was kept within a circle by her parents, with her activity area only at their feet. She pouted, squatted down, and counted the ants passing by on the ground.

Although the rooftop was fenced, making it difficult for Feng Jiayuan to climb over unless she turned into a monkey, Feng Chengze was still uneasy and said to Ji Qingyu, “You watch her. I’ll do it.”

The sheet fluttered between Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze, carrying a faint scent that reassured her. All the household items were bought by her father from the supermarket. Master Ji had great trust in a certain brand and had been using it for many years. To her, this was the scent of home and a safe haven, and at this moment, it seemed to have rubbed off on Feng Chengze as well.

She looked at him with a smile and said, “Could this be Mr. Feng’s first time drying sheets?”

“Hard to say.” Feng Chengze said these three words calmly and seriously, but Ji Qingyu couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander. Both she and he knew that if he had dried sheets for anyone else over the years, it would only be for her.

Perhaps because the child was present, many things were inconvenient to say, and no one brought up Feng Yu. However, they underestimated the curiosity of children towards unfamiliar elders in the family. After getting in the car, Feng Chengze did not sit in the front passenger seat but accompanied Ji Qingyu and Feng Jiayuan in the back seat. He naturally noticed the box she was carrying and asked, “Is this the cake you bought today?”

“Yes, I bought two and left one for my mom.”

“Cake!!”

Upon hearing these words, Feng Jiayuan was no longer sleepy. She immediately turned her head and looked at her mother with eager eyes, whispering, “Can I…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but her desire was already written all over her face and in her eyes.

Ji Qingyu hesitated, “Probably not…”

She realized that Mr. Feng didn’t seem to like any smells in the car, whether unpleasant or pleasant. His two cars had no air fresheners, scents, or leather smell from car decorations. Her car had a car pendant with a faint fragrance, which smelled nice, but every time he sat in her car, he would lower the window a crack. This was his “baby bus.” Not hers, so it wasn’t up to her to decide.

“Alright then.”

If it were just her parents in the car, Feng Jiayuan might have thrown a tantrum, but since there was also a driver, she wanted to save face and didn’t want to act spoiled in front of others. So, she reluctantly nodded, her agreement sounding very forced. She quickly thought of something else and forgot her anger within seconds. Curiously, she asked, “Mom, do you have a brother or sister that I haven’t met?”

She thought her mother might have a sister, a biological sister. She now knew that Uncle Shi Yao and Auntie Shanshan were not her grandparents’ children. Her uncle was abroad, so her aunt might be on another planet, like Mercury or Mars.

Ji Qingyu was stunned, “No, mommy is an only child.” After saying this, she instinctively turned her head to look at Feng Chengze. Somehow, she remembered what her mother had told her: if the old matters between her and Feng Yu were brought up again, it would affect her and Yuanbao.

Feng Chengze suddenly reached out and placed his hand on hers, which was resting on her bag, as if silently comforting her. If he could protect them from undeserved criticism and harm back then, he could also do it now.

“Daddy has a brother…” Feng Jiayuan asked, “Does he have a child named Chloe?”

“No.” Ji Qingyu smiled, “Chloe’s dad is Uncle Pig, right? If your dad had a brother, you would call him Uncle.”

The light in the car flickered, and Feng Jiayuan didn’t see her dad holding her mom’s hand and placing it on his knee.

Feng Chengze, who had been silent, spoke up, “Yuan Bao, do you want to eat cake?”

This question instantly grabbed Feng Jiayuan’s full attention. All thoughts of brothers, uncles, and cousins vanished in the face of the cake’s aroma. Afraid that a delayed response might make her dad change his mind, she loudly exclaimed, “Yes! I want it so much!”

Ji Qingyu couldn’t open the cake box with one hand, so she gently tugged and gave him a look to remind him. Only then did he let go of her hand.

A sweet orange scent filled the car as the box lid was lifted.

Feng Chengze could only turn his head and lower the car window, letting the hot wind from outside disperse the cake’s sweet aroma that lingered around his nose. Now, it seemed he had found a new favorite scent.

Feng Chengze didn’t like his routine being disrupted. Even though something unexpected happened today, after they got home, he still asked Ji Qingyu if she wanted to go out and practice driving. She was more than happy to, so they left the child with Sister Liu and Sister Sun, and the couple went out again. After licking the cream off the corner of her mouth, Feng Jiayuan confidently said, “My mom and dad must have gone out to eat something delicious and have fun!”

She was initially outraged, but Xu Yichuan said his parents did the same.
Since everyone’s parents were like that, she decided not to be angry anymore.

Sister Liu and Sister Sun didn’t know how to respond to this. Because they also didn’t know what Mr. and Mrs. Feng did when they went out late at night.

Sister Sun had encountered it once. That night, she got up to get some water. It was almost eleven o’clock, and through the hallway, she heard the door opening and the quiet conversation between the couple, with Mrs. Feng complaining about being tired and Mr. Feng comforting her. She didn’t even have time to drink water. Before Mr. and Mrs. Feng came in, she hurried back to her room.

“So tired.” As Ji Qingyu fastened her seatbelt, she could only marvel at how full her day had been. The last time she worked this hard was before the college entrance exams.

Feng Chengze was adjusting the driver’s seat and glanced at her when he heard this. She quickly reassured the coach, “But I can still practice for another two hours.”

“If people were sponges, you could squeeze out two more hours than others. It won’t be long before you can drive on your own.”

Feng Chengze rarely encouraged anyone. But even he didn’t realize he had gotten used to saying things he didn’t mean to her.

For example, the cup of coffee with sugar and milk on the plane was clearly too sweet for him, yet he gave it a “not bad” rating. It shows that everything has signs.

“Then you, this sponge, can definitely squeeze out…” Ji Qingyu paused to think, “at least three or four more hours.”

No wonder he’s the boss and has money.

The two complimented each other, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant, so they laughed together. Now, during his lunch break, Feng Chengze would also look at the real-time map of Jing City. After a few days of practice, he assessed her current driving level and drove to a slightly more complex area near Yisheng Group. Although there were bustling malls, there were more office buildings and fewer residential areas. The traffic lanes were noticeably less crowded by eight or nine o’clock, making it a good place to practice.

Feng Chengze taught her unhurriedly, “Driving isn’t complicated. You just need to keep an eye on everything, scan the left and right mirrors, and maintain a safe distance from the cars in front and behind…”

“But if you drive on the road, even to familiar places, it’s best to use navigation. It will remind you to avoid violations and demerit points. In short, follow the traffic rules.”

Ji Qingyu chuckled, “It’s so rare to hear the word ‘violation’ from your mouth.”

Feng Chengze said calmly, “Since I got my driver’s license, I haven’t had any violations.”

“That’s because most of the time, it’s the driver who’s driving…” Ji Qingyu said, then dramatically covered her mouth with a look of “How did I let the truth slip out so easily?”

His driver drove so steadily that he could place a cup of coffee in the armrest box, and it wouldn’t spill a drop throughout the journey.

Feng Chengze was silent, “…”

It turns out you shouldn’t easily offend the coach. For the next half hour, Coach Feng didn’t say another word to his student.

Ji Qingyu secretly laughed to herself. It felt so good. Indeed, people need to get closer to each other. She used only to dare to think such blunt truths to herself, but now she could actually say them out loud.

Driving around the area, she felt more and more confident about driving. Seeing that many floors of the Yisheng Group building were still lit, she suddenly initiated a conversation, “Mr. Feng, I have something to ask you.”

Feng Chengze glanced at her, “What is it?”

“Well… as your family member, I should have access to the Yisheng cafeteria, right?”

After all, she had interned at Yisheng and was quite familiar with some internal situations. The reason why so many graduates wanted to join Yisheng was that the company treated its employees quite well. The break area offered free drinks, coffee, fruits, and snacks. The employee cafeteria was self-service with a variety of options, and each department had afternoon tea… In the few months she interned at Yisheng, she had gained three or four pounds.

Of course, considering employees’ health, Yisheng also had a gym. She had only been there two or three times and barely jogged for five minutes on the treadmill each time just to check-in.

Feng Chengze’s gaze fell on her flat stomach, “Are you hungry?”

Ji Qingyu nodded honestly. She was too lazy to cook when she got home and only ate some snacks, “A little bit.”

“Alright.”

Feng Chengze directed her to drive to the Yisheng parking lot. He also had a fixed parking spot, not far from Feng Yu’s. After parking the car, she couldn’t help but glance at the parking spot with the open ground lock. It seemed to have become a habit, but habits could be changed. He followed her gaze out the car window.

“Feng Yu…” She turned her head and hesitantly asked him, “He came back for the celebration, right? Will he go back to Mexico?”

This was very important to her, more important than knowing what happened five years ago.

Call her selfish or insensitive, but she realized she didn’t want to face Feng Yu at all. She finally understood what Feng Chengze had said. Things had come to this point; everything was in the past, and she couldn’t return to five years ago. She was satisfied with her current life. What’s more important, the past or the present? She thought if she grabbed a random person on the street, they would choose the present, right?

Five years had passed, and Feng Yu should have moved on. He must have his own life now. Since they had broken up, she wouldn’t treat him as her boyfriend anymore. But in the short term, it was too difficult for her to face him calmly and be his sister-in-law. She feared that in this play where everyone performed well, she would be the only one whose poor acting would make her look like a clown.

“It depends on the situation. His appointment term is five years, with one year remaining.” Feng Chengze’s tone was very calm, without a hint of fluctuation.

“One more year…” Ji Qingyu murmured.

Why is there only one year left? Some things can’t be said to an elder brother. But soon she perked up again. Since their family of three didn’t live in the old house, she could try to avoid meeting Feng Yu as much as possible in the future. This would be good for both her and him. He probably wouldn’t want to see her often either.

In Feng Chengze’s eyes, Ji Qingyu was a very simple person. He knew this from the first time he met her. It wasn’t always written on her face whether she was happy or sad, but you could tell by looking at her eyes.
Having been in a high position for many years, he could see things clearly. He knew who was lying and who wasn’t. Feng Yu didn’t lie; he really went to see a movie. She wouldn’t lie either; she also went to see a movie alone. Feng Yu wouldn’t be foolish enough to use this matter to drive a wedge between them.

So, what was the intention?
If it was just to provoke him with such a foolish method, he could accept it.

“Let’s get out.” Ji Qingyu usually didn’t trouble herself with unnecessary worries. Right now, nothing was more important than filling her stomach. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, wanting to check if she had parked correctly.

However, Feng Chengze, who was sitting in the passenger seat, didn’t get out. His phone vibrated a few times; it was the surveillance video from the cinema that he had asked Chen Xiuren to check. He looked down and opened it.

Chen Xiuren probably guessed that he didn’t have much patience and had edited the most important clips.

Ji Qingyu entered the screening room at 2:15 PM.

Feng Yu entered at 2:38 PM and left after staying for an hour.
…

Seeing that Feng Chengze hadn’t exited the car, Ji Qingyu approached the passenger door and suspiciously peered through the window. She saw him holding his phone, which had already gone dark, sitting there motionless, lost in thought. She knocked on the window with her knuckles.

Feng Chengze looked up and met her gaze calmly through the window. Then, he got out of the car unhurriedly and led her towards the elevator hall, his expression as composed as ever. For most of the day, as long as he was awake, he wore this expression.

Two minutes later, Ji Qingyu realized something was wrong. She watched the elevator numbers rise continuously, not stopping at the floor where the cafeteria was located. She blinked in confusion: Wait, weren’t they going to the cafeteria? Why were they taking his private elevator to his office?

She was full of questions and looked at Feng Chengze through the mirrored elevator wall. Seeing his calm expression without a hint of disturbance, she swallowed her doubts. She thought, maybe he had some unfinished work.

Workaholics are like that. Since they were already at the company, would he really just accompany her for a late-night snack and leave? Wouldn’t that be a waste of his time?

She wasn’t that hungry and could wait until he finished his work to eat.
The private elevator didn’t stop at the middle floors. With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened. Most of the lights on this floor were off, leaving only the sensor lights in the elevator hall.

Ji Qingyu followed Feng Chengze into his office. As soon as they entered, he suddenly stopped as if waking from a dream. She couldn’t avoid bumping into his solid back, her nose stinging. She quickly covered it and let out a muffled groan.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, floodlights illuminated the skyscrapers, casting shadows on the dark carpet. The room wasn’t completely dark.

Feng Chengze calmly thought that Ji Qingyu wouldn’t lie to him. No one knew this better than he did. If she had seen Feng Yu in the theater, she wouldn’t hide it from him, and she couldn’t. Perhaps his one-sided speculation was too foolish. He could directly tell her. He could imagine how panicked she would be, asking, “Mr. Feng, what should we do?”…

He should do that.

But…

How could he say that his brother secretly returned to the country and painstakingly bought a ticket for the same movie session just to enjoy an hour of watching the screen with her?

Would she be scared?

Or would she feel a slight tremor after the fear?

Feng Yu hadn’t forgotten her, not for a second. What about her? They had been together for quite a while. She had once shyly held Feng Yu’s hand, sat opposite him, and politely called him “Big Brother.”

“What’s wrong?” Ji Qingyu rubbed her nose and muttered.

Meanwhile, at the Feng residence.

Feng Yu hung the dreamcatcher he brought back from abroad. His fingers touched the soft feathers. The dreamcatcher had a small bookmark hanging from it. The moonlight outside was hazy, faintly illuminating the elegant handwriting on it—

Ji & Feng
Together Forever

He looked at it, his expression slightly changing – if that could be called a smile. The phone on the coffee table rang. He withdrew his hand, took a few steps away, and glanced back. The dreamcatcher was still gently swaying. He answered the call, listening to the voice on the other end, and smiled, “I’ve been his brother for twenty or thirty years. I know him. He won’t say anything. Do you know why?”

His elder brother would not allow any man to leave even a ripple in her heart – whether it was love, hate, fear, or disgust.
…

“It’s nothing.” Feng Chengze’s deep voice echoed in the quiet office. The remaining rationality made him turn around, step closer to her, and lower his head to examine her nose in the dim light. He frowned and asked, “Did it hurt?”

Ji Qingyu was more worried about her makeup coming off her nose. She glanced up slightly and realized he was wearing a white shirt. Even if her foundation rubbed off on his shirt, it wouldn’t be very noticeable. She smiled, “Mr. Feng, did you just remember that I was following you?”

“No.” His hand hanging by his side moved slightly, his breathing deepening as he stared at her intently.

She had initially wanted to tease him a bit more, but when she looked up and met his deep-set eyes, she froze. The two who had just shared a deep kiss stared at each other for more than three seconds, testing their resolve.

Ji Qingyu admitted that she was not a person with strong willpower, and Feng Chengze definitely wasn’t either. He reached out, placing his hands on either side of her waist, pulling her into his embrace. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, rising onto her toes, their lips meeting skillfully. He initiated, she welcomed, his kiss deep and heavy, his left hand cradling her head, delving deeper.

His fingers also slipped into her soft hair – gently caressing, not pulling, not causing her pain. Her knees brushed against his trousers, again and again. On this floor were only the two of them, the sounds of saliva and friction intertwining; even the slightest noise could be heard.

After kissing for too long, her legs were almost sore. At this moment, it was inappropriate to think that if she kissed him a few more times like this, her calf muscles would become more developed than before.

Couldn’t Mr. Feng lower his head or bend down a bit more?

Once she started to think wildly, the passion and immersion faded.

Feng Chengze noticed her distraction, temporarily releasing her tongue and pulling back slightly, but their noses remained touched, their breaths intertwined.

He murmured, “What’s wrong?”

Ji Qingyu didn’t want to act cute at all, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her tone was soft, and she complained, “You’re too tall.”

So, she was also exhausted, okay?

Feng Cheng’s breath hitched.

The last shred of rationality had long been drowned in the impulse of the kiss. He couldn’t remember where they were; he had become the most ordinary man, directly holding her and placing her on the desk amidst her startled exclamations.

“I’m wearing a skirt…”

After being startled for a brief moment, Ji Qingyu’s mind brought up this thought. But soon, she couldn’t think of anything else, pulled into the web he had spread.

The drooping hem of her skirt gradually piled up like a blooming flower on the steady, grand, yet old-fashioned desk.