Chapter 41

This scene was like a slow-motion shot in a movie.

In the quiet parking lot, Ji Qingyu was tightly embraced by Feng Chengze, and she locked eyes with Feng Yu. She hadn’t expected to reunite with him so soon and was stunned. He stared at her unblinkingly, his gaze like an impenetrable net enveloping her. She snapped back to reality, hurriedly pushing against Feng Chengze’s waist and abdomen, suppressing the scream that was about to burst from her throat. She suddenly realized that the real test wasn’t from others but from Feng Yu.

It wasn’t just about controlling her complex emotions towards Feng Yu, but as someone who knew both her and Feng Chengze, if he wanted to, he could easily notice something. Even if her thoughts were chaotic and the impact was great, she still endured it because Feng Chengze’s scent surrounded her. This strength, this warmth, reminded her that it was five years later, and he was her husband.

The person staring at them from a distance was no longer her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend but her husband’s younger brother.

“Someone’s here,” she whispered in his ear, “It’s… Feng Yu!”

Feng Chengze, as the elder brother, was much calmer than her. She didn’t feel any stiffness in his body for even a second. He calmly let go of her, didn’t immediately turn to look at his brother, and raised his hand to smooth her hair, which had become messy from their embrace. “Feeling better?”

Ji Qingyu was stunned: “…”

Is this the time to say that?? She hadn’t noticed that the discomfort deep in her heart had completely disappeared in this tense atmosphere.

“Better.”

Perhaps Feng Chengze’s aura was too strong, his expression too calm, and she couldn’t help but answer his question. She couldn’t help but want to glance at Feng Yu.

What was going on with these two?

However, Feng Chengze moved his body, firmly blocking her view of Feng Yu. They locked eyes, and he gazed intensely at her. “That’s good. Do you want to get in the car?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Ji Qingyu couldn’t wait. She didn’t want to see Feng Yu at all right now. She knew that five years later, as a wife and mother, she had no standing to blame him anymore because she must have done so five years ago. There’s no point in rehashing old grievances. She didn’t want to revisit this messy situation.

From Feng Yu’s perspective, even though they broke up, she turned around and married his older brother…

If this dramatic story were posted online, she believed more people would condemn her.

After she nodded lightly, he held her hand but didn’t let her sit in the front passenger seat. Instead, he opened the back door. Although Ji Qingyu didn’t understand, she looked up at his calm face and felt reassured. She didn’t ask any more questions and bent down to get into the car. Even with Feng Chengze blocking her, she could still feel that intense gaze following her.

After she sat down, Feng Chengze held the car door, leaned in halfway, and whispered, “Shall I lower the partition for you?”

“Wait… what are you going to do?” she asked in surprise.

Seeing her gripping her handbag so tightly that her knuckles turned white, he said helplessly, “Don’t overthink it. What kind of occasion is this?”

“Then…” She bit her lip, “Do as you please.”

Feng Chengze was satisfied and lowered the partition, blocking her view through the windshield. After completing this seemingly meaningless task, he closed the car door. Probably worried she might feel hot and stuffy, he walked around to the driver’s seat and turned on the air conditioning.

Then, from about ten meters away, he looked calmly at the expressionless Feng Yu. He used to hate a particular saying. Unfortunately, his grandfather and father often repeated the phrase, “Barefoot people are not afraid of those wearing shoes.”

He walked over steadily. The two brothers had similar builds, but one looked more upright. Feng Yu’s face was indifferent, and he didn’t look his brother in the eye. His gaze remained fixed on the car.

“A Yu.”
Feng Chengze called him calmly, “Don’t overthink it.”

He thought A Yu didn’t understand her that well. Otherwise, why would he think she would care about Luo Xuan and rush over? Was he expecting something foolish and ridiculous to happen?

Feng Yu finally withdrew his gaze and looked at him, no longer hiding his true self at home, and said coldly, “Really?”

He stepped closer and, imitating Feng Chengze’s tone, called out, “Big brother.”

Feng Chengze’s eyes flickered.

“I’ve learned from you for so many years. Do you think you know me better, or do I know you better?” Feng Yu lowered his voice and smiled, “Big brother, your current look is really long-lost.”

It wasn’t the condescending look of a victor over a loser, but the look of seeing him as a competitor, being on guard.

It really had been a long time. So, even their seemingly unbreakable marriage had a crack, didn’t it?

Feng Chengze’s expression didn’t change, and he smiled faintly, “The look of being troubled by having a dull person dragging the family down? I’ve never warned you about anything since we were young, and this time is no different. But sometimes, I hope you use your brain. Who will bear the consequences of bringing up old matters?”

He had received a notification that Feng Yu was coming over. Although he didn’t know what his brother was thinking all the time, he didn’t think he and his wife had any obligation to be side characters in a farce. He really hated family matters being brought to others’ tables. At this moment, he somewhat understood why he was so furious a few years ago that he wanted to break his brother’s leg.

Feng Yu was silent for a while, then looked at the car again. “If you didn’t do it, how would there be old matters?”

Except for business, Feng Chengze never wasted words arguing with people. He habitually touched the wedding ring on his ring finger and said calmly, “What’s done is done.”

Saying this was just to remind his seemingly still resentful brother—
Many things, whether right or wrong, don’t matter. What’s done is done. Regret is too cowardly. He could bear the consequences of what he had done. What about you?

Feng Yu’s face turned extremely ugly as if this casual remark had exposed his deepest regret.

“We have other matters to attend to,” Feng Chengze said flatly, looking at him. “Mom is still at the auction site. If you can take her home, she would be pleased.”

After saying this, he didn’t care about Feng Yu’s expression and walked towards the parking lot.

…

On the way home.

Ji Qingyu had moved from the back seat to the front passenger seat. The car was very quiet, not just because she was too tired to speak but also because Feng Chengze, with his jaw tightly clenched and eyes sharply focused on the road ahead, didn’t seem like he wanted to chat either. She looked wistfully at the scenery passing by the window. Even now, she didn’t know if suddenly being transported five years into the future was a good thing. But whether it was good or bad, she had already broken up with Feng Yu and married Feng Chengze. Without a doubt, Feng Chengze was an excellent teacher. She had taken many of his words to heart: one must be sure of their direction, and occasional deviations were okay as long as they returned to the right path.

The past with Feng Yu—the beginning, the process, and the end—should no longer be thought about.

“You haven’t had dinner yet,” she said after figuring this out. “Should we call Sister Sun to prepare something or find a restaurant outside?”

Feng Chengze seemed surprised she would take the initiative to ask him this question. His tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. “You didn’t eat much either. Are you hungry?”

“A little.”

The afternoon tea she had was mostly digested by now.

“Then you decide,” he said.

Ji Qingyu didn’t like to trouble others. She had already told Sister Sun they wouldn’t have dinner at home today, and it was getting late. Asking Sister Sun, who might already be resting, to go back to the kitchen seemed unnecessary. So she suggested, “Let’s eat out?”

“Sure.”

Feng Chengze promptly parked the car in a nearby spot. Seeing her take out her phone to check reviews, the screen’s light reflecting on her face, he raised his hand and loosened his tie. The spot on his chest where she had leaned and shed tears was a bit wrinkled. He wasn’t a harsh person. Towards family, subordinates, or strangers, he didn’t consider himself unkind. Yet, when she cried, he couldn’t suppress a destructive urge.

He wanted to tell her, “No.”

He could only detect these three words lingering in his heart. No to what?

“The weather is nice today.” Ji Qingyu remembered something and looked up, only to meet his deep eyes. She was slightly stunned. “I mean, there are many stars in the sky. If you’re also interested, we could buy some food and go to the hillside to get some fresh air.”

Also. Feng Chengze caught that word. He wasn’t actually interested in stargazing and had never specifically done it, but it reminded him of the telescope he had removed from the restaurant terrace.

Ji Qingyu: “…”

Was this a case of mentioning the wrong thing? She was usually so clever, so why did she do something foolish in front of him?

Just as she was about to laugh it off and find an excuse, he calmly nodded, “Okay.”

Is this what it’s like to be married to someone six years older? He wouldn’t get angry for no reason; everything could be discussed.

“I’m just a little hungry, so some freshly cut fruit would be enough,” Ji Qingyu asked softly. “What about you?”

Sometimes, people have double standards. She could say “whatever,” “anything,” or “you decide,” but when others said it, it wasn’t acceptable. She felt she knew Feng Chengze well enough, so when he was about to answer, she pretended to be serious and said, “If you say ‘whatever,’ then let’s just get some oden or rice balls from the convenience store.”

Feng Chengze paused, “Then oden or rice balls it is.”

Ji Qingyu: “??”

She thought he was joking, but upon closer inspection, he was serious.
So she didn’t see the need to make him change his mind but reminded him, “Convenience store food is instant.”

“I’ve been to a convenience store before,” Feng Chengze glanced at her.
From her incredulous look, he might have thought she considered him an antique from five hundred years ago. But he realized he had been talking more lately, so he unnecessarily emphasized, “I know what oden is, and I know what rice balls are.”

To say Ji Qingyu had a happy day today would be a lie. From seeing Luo Xuan in the restroom, suspecting she might have had a past relationship with Feng Chengze, to learning the reason for her breakup with Feng Yu, and even witnessing the conversation between Feng Chengze and Feng Yu in the car, she was really exhausted. But at this moment, hearing his words, she couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes crinkling with amusement.