Chapter 67

Fortunately, Ji Qingyu had already gotten used to Feng Chengze’s presence. Otherwise, the first thing she would have done upon waking groggily from her dream would have been to bite his tongue, making him bleed and hurt.

She originally thought it was just a wake-up kiss, but it deepened unexpectedly. When her tongue started to feel sore, she quickly pushed him away, turned her head, and breathlessly reminded him, “What time is it? Stop messing around. Don’t we have to pick up Yuan Bao?”

He buried his face in her neck to steady his breathing. He hadn’t intended to do anything more, after all, this was still his office. “I know.”

Ji Qingyu looked at the ceiling helplessly, raised her hand, and ruffled his hair like petting a dog. “Get up. I’ll wash my face to wake up.”

He responded with a hum and held her for a few more minutes before letting go. He sat on the messy bed, fastening his watch while watching her wash her face and comb her hair at the sink. Her figure was graceful, and even if her body was as tough as a bull’s horn, there was no need to crash into it. Whoever she had in her heart before, and whatever exciting and romantic things she had done for them, it didn’t matter anymore. It was in the past. What mattered was that from now on, she would only do these things for him, and that was enough.

When Ji Qingyu turned around and met his gaze, she asked in confusion, “What are you smiling about?”

Feng Chengze’s smile was never like others’ big laughs; his expression was always calm, whether he was happy or not.

But she could see through him. She clearly saw the joyful smile on his face and in his eyes.

“Nothing.” He stood up, walked over to her, and took her hand. “I had some things mixed up, but now I’ve sorted them out.”

“What is it?” she asked, a bit curious. What could have made him so confused?

“It’s something you wouldn’t be interested in,” he replied.

Ji Qingyu understood. “Alright, then, don’t tell me.”

Naturally, she wouldn’t be interested in his work matters. It’s not that she wasn’t interested, but she wouldn’t understand even if she listened. When they left the office, it was a little past four. It took about half an hour to get from Yisheng to the kindergarten.

While waiting in line, they ran into Chen Yuwei, and both were taken aback.

Chen Yuwei smiled and nodded as she always did. Since that encounter with Luo Xuan at the hotel restaurant, their interactions had not been as close. Chen Yuwei was a smart and dignified person. Even though Luo Xuan and her brother had decided to pause the wedding and take some time to cool off, the relationship they had meant they could no longer be friends. They could no longer be “Chen Yuwei” and “Ji Qingyu” who could get closer, but only “Yichuan’s mom” and “Jiayuan’s mom.”

Ji Qingyu also returned a smile. The children from the Rose Class were gradually being picked up. Feng Jiayuan jumped three feet high, holding her mother’s hand with her left hand and her father’s hand with her right.

“I want to fly!”

Feng Chengze: “…” He could only lift her up.

Feng Jiayuan tucked her feet in and was smoothly carried to the car, giggling all the way. Her carefree laughter echoed far.

After getting in the car, Ji Qingyu asked her gossipingly, “Have you decided which two friends you want to invite, sweetheart?”

“I originally wanted to invite Xu Yichuan, but he said he might not have time, and he almost cried.” Feng Jiayuan said regretfully, “He really cries a lot, so I’m planning to invite Xiang Xuefei and Lan Siqi.”

“Xu Yichuan doesn’t have time?”

Ji Qingyu was a bit surprised. Although all the kids in the Rose Class were good friends with Yuan Bao, Xu Yichuan had managed to squeeze into the top three by persistently calling Yuan Bao every day after school.

“No,” Feng Jiayuan sighed like a little adult. “He said there are a lot of things going on at home, and his uncle isn’t getting married anymore.”

Xu Yichuan, who practiced catwalks in the classroom every day, was highly disappointed. He couldn’t be the flower boy anymore; it was the end of the world for him.

“Huh?” Ji Qingyu was slightly stunned. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Feng Jiayuan shrugged. “Maybe adults just like to go back on their word.”

Ji Qingyu fell into a brief contemplation. However, thinking about seeing Luo Xuan in the parking lot, she wasn’t too surprised. Luo Xuan wasn’t foolish. The matter could be big or small, but the lawless Luo Chong had gone crazy again. Even the smallest issue could escalate. Whether the Chen family didn’t want to get involved or Luo Xuan was too exhausted to continue, this decision seemed understandable.

Feng Chengze listened calmly, showing no extra emotion on his face.
These people weren’t related to him, but seeing her frown, he took her hand and gently rubbed it as a form of comfort.

The Yisheng celebration wasn’t scheduled for the weekend. Feng Jiayuan happily took her first personal leave of her school life. Since joining the kindergarten last September, she had taken leave before, but that was due to illness. This time was different. She was lively and energetic, changing into a little dress early in the morning and stepping out with the grandeur of a future CEO under the guidance of Sister Sun and Sister Liu.

This was an event, not a red carpet walk. Ji Qingyu didn’t wear a haute couture dress, thinking it was too extravagant. Instead, she chose a fitted satin gown paired with lustrous pearls. Today was special; both she and Feng Chengze replaced their daily wedding rings with those for formal occasions.

When the ring was taken off, it left a mark around her ring finger.

“If you want,” Feng Chengze took out the teardrop-shaped pink diamond wedding ring from the velvet box and put it on her hand, “we can have a wedding just for the two of us once this busy period is over.”

Every time Ji Qingyu saw this wedding ring, her eyes would sparkle. It was luxurious and dreamy, exactly the kind she liked.

She stared at it, and when she suddenly heard this, she thought she was hallucinating. “What? A wedding?”

To Feng Chengze, it didn’t matter whether they had a wedding or not as long as they were married and had wedding rings. But he thought she might feel regretful.

“Do you want one?” he asked.

Ji Qingyu tried to be reserved for two seconds, but she found it too challenging. She immediately shouted, “Yes!”

Of course, she wanted it. She had to have it; not having it would be a loss.

Hearing her quick response, Feng Chengze knew he had made the right decision. “Alright, you won’t have to wait long.”

This made Ji Qingyu overjoyed. In her twenty-two years, she had attended many weddings. When she sat in the audience, she didn’t find it very interesting; the lavish food on the table was more appealing. But no matter how uninteresting it was, when it was her turn, she still wanted it. The more she looked at him, the more pleasing he became to her eyes. All morning, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Finally, Feng Chengze couldn’t stand her gentle gaze any longer. At the celebration venue, he pulled her into an empty safety passage, held her wrist, and whispered, “I can’t leave early today.”

Ji Qingyu was puzzled. “Who asked you to leave early?”

“Restrain yourself,” he said, implying something.

“…” She felt wronged.

He told her to restrain herself, but when she was about to leave the safety passage, he pulled her back and stole a kiss in the midst of their busy day.

Ji Qingyu touched her still-warm lips and decided to find something to do. Looking around, she saw Chairman Feng following Yuan Bao closely like a bodyguard. She really didn’t want to interact too much with Chairman Feng to avoid being pressured by his gaze later. Just as she was feeling bored, a lazy male voice came from behind, “What are you doing here?”
She turned around to see Shao Qin, a familiar face who often liked and commented on her posts in her social circle.

Over the past few years, she had become quite familiar with him, but this was indeed the first time she had met him in person.

“Your husband asked me to be your bodyguard,” Shao Qin said as he sat down beside her and called a waiter to bring a glass of low-alcohol champagne.

At the front of the venue, a huge screen was set up, with cameras sweeping around, mainly filming Yisheng’s shareholders and executives. A little girl with a bun hairstyle frequently appeared on the screen, catching the attention of others.

The man who once held the most power in the group had shed his stern image, now full of affection as he played with his granddaughter in his arms.

The little girl pouted unhappily. Chairman Feng pinched her cheek and pointed to the screen.

Suddenly, the little girl, now the center of attention on the big screen, widened her eyes in surprise. She shyly covered her face and turned to hide in her grandfather’s arms. After he whispered a few words in her ear, she put down her chubby hands, no longer shy, and smiled broadly at the camera, waving her arms vigorously.

Everyone else raised their champagne glasses in unison as if toasting the future successor from afar.

Ji Qingyu watched with a smile.

Shao Qin sighed, “Old Chen and I talk every month about how to sneak this little one out without anyone noticing. It’s quite unfair. Your husband is such a serious and dull person, yet he’s incredibly lucky.”

“Indeed,” Ji Qingyu agreed. Feng Chengze was indeed very lucky!

The two chatted idly until the camera panned to Feng Chengze and Feng Yu talking in the crowd. They both fell silent. On the screen, the brothers, both dressed in formal attire, looked exceptionally striking together, their faces relaxed and smiling, exuding friendliness and harmony.

Since Feng Yu’s return, there had been private speculations, but now, the rumors were dispelled. The Feng family was doing well, and so was Yisheng.

Shao Qin muttered, “Old actor,” and then leaned in, lowering his voice to Ji Qingyu, “There are some things I can’t say to Chengze. You should remind him not to fall into that guy’s trap.”

Ji Qingyu’s heart skipped a beat, but she didn’t show it, maintaining a look of confusion.

“If you ask me, he shouldn’t have been allowed to go abroad back then,” Shao Qin sighed. “But there was no choice; Old Feng wanted to protect him.” Given the deadly rivalry between the brothers at the time, keeping Feng Yu in Jing City would have eventually led to a major incident.

Everyone had their own stance, and even the furious Feng Chengze had to bow to his parents.

Ji Qingyu listened quietly without agreeing. Shao Qin knew the occasion and stopped after a few sentences, switching to other topics.

Midway through, Feng Chengze came over to take over from Shao Qin. Seeing that the joy in her eyes from earlier was gone, he frowned and asked, “Tired?”

Not just her, he was also overwhelmed by the day’s tedious tasks.

Ji Qingyu hesitated, then remembered it was a celebration day with people constantly passing by. She swallowed her words and shook her head, “I’m fine.”

Feng Chengze’s intention was to make her feel at ease. Seeing her distracted, he checked the time. It was getting late, so he called an assistant to escort her back to the penthouse suite to rest. After watching her enter the elevator, he looked around and quickly spotted Shao Qin chatting with Chen Xiuren. He walked over and stood tall, asking, “I asked you to accompany her. What happened?”

Shao Qin clicked his tongue, “Accusing me? I’ve seen heartless people, but never someone as heartless as you.”

Chen Xiuren smiled silently. After all these years, wasn’t he used to it?

“I just…” Shao Qin said, “I asked her to advise you not to have unrealistic dreams after turning thirty.”

Feng Chengze gave him a deep look, “Stop talking nonsense to her.”

Chen Xiuren said gently, “Idle talk.”

He wasn’t worried. There were only a few people who could make Feng Chengze willingly play the fool. His brother wasn’t one of them. Besides, which eye did Shao Qin use to see that Feng Yu had any intention of reconciliation?

Late at night, after the celebration ended and the cleanup was done, Feng Chengze took the elevator back to the suite. He thought she would be asleep by now. Walking through the hallway, he was surprised to see her curled up on the sofa watching a movie, clearly not paying attention to it.
He couldn’t hide his joy as he walked towards her, loosening his tie and asking, “Why aren’t you asleep yet? Waiting for me?”

The sudden voice startled Ji Qingyu, almost making her throw the pillow she was holding. Seeing it was him, she complained, “You scared me to death!”

Her words gave him an idea. He sat down and pulled her into his arms, “Afraid to be alone?”

“No.” She grabbed his tie in a panic, as if it were a lifeline before falling off a cliff. “I was thinking about something.”

“What is it?”

She had taken a bath and washed off all her makeup, her skin now clear and fair. He held her tightly, his nose pressed against her cheek, inhaling her scent. He couldn’t resist giving her several light kisses.

When he wanted to go further, she pulled away, pushing against his chest and saying worriedly, “Shao Qin told me to be careful… She paused, “Be careful of Feng Yu.”

Feng Chengze slowly raised his eyes and looked at her closely, “He’s always talking nonsense. Don’t listen to him, listen to me.”

“But—”

Her thoughts were also very confused.

He chuckled, “Worried about me?”

She nodded sullenly.

He stroked her face, turning her to face him, their noses lightly touching. He felt satisfied, “Don’t worry.”

Seeing that she still wanted to say something, at least at this moment, half of her mind was occupied with Feng Yu. He sealed her lips with a kiss. She vaguely heard him say something, but all her thoughts were captured by him.

The next day, when Ji Qingyu woke up in the hotel suite’s large bed, Feng Chengze was not there.

On her bedside table was a note. She reached for it, and in the soft light, she saw the sharp, free-flowing handwriting. She read it several times, then lingered in bed for a while longer. Eventually, the doorbell rang, and she had to get up in her robe. Looking through the peephole, she saw Yuan Bao in a children’s robe outside.

As soon as the door opened, Feng Jiayuan rushed in.

Last night at eight, Sister Liu had taken her back to the room to wash up and sleep. Now fully rested, she was like a fully charged smart device.

“Mom!” She hid her hands behind her back, peeking around. “I had breakfast in the room and watched cartoons. Why are you still not awake?”

Sister Liu saw the door open and turned back to Feng Jiayuan’s suite. Even for a short trip within Jing City, children needed to bring a lot of things, filling up a whole suitcase, which she had to pack.

Ji Qingyu closed the door, leaving just her and her daughter in the large room.

Feng Jiayuan was like her mother’s little shadow. When her mother brushed her teeth, she dutifully stayed by her side, chirping like a little bird, “Mom, I love staying in hotels. Can we stay in the hotel forever?”

“The hotel isn’t as comfortable as home.”

“It’s bigger than my room!” She looked up, pleading, “Please, please, can we stay one more night, Mom? My dear mom, please?”

Ji Qingyu turned off the electric toothbrush, spat out the toothpaste foam, rinsed her mouth, and replied, “Alright then.”

She patted her daughter’s head and laughed softly, “You sound so pitiful. Yesterday, so many people called you Little Feng. Do they know how hard you’re working just to stay one more night in the hotel?”

“That’s because I haven’t stayed in a hotel for a hundred years!”

“A hundred years?” Ji Qingyu laughed at her daughter’s exaggeration.

“Don’t lie to Mom. Didn’t Dad and Mom take you out to play before? Do you remember the castle?”

With social media as proof, five years later, they would occasionally take their child on trips whenever they had time. The last trip was to an amusement park.

Feng Jiayuan had a good memory and quickly nodded, “I remember!”

Ji Qingyu smiled, turned on the faucet, cupped some water to wash her face, and squeezed some facial cleanser into her palm. Before she could lather it up, she heard her daughter say innocently, “Dad bought me a lot of balloons, and we took pictures in front of the castle!”

Feng Jiayuan stomped her foot, “Oh right, right! Uncle’s phone has that picture. I’ve seen it!”