Chapter 99: For Now, You ll Wear A Couple Ring So Other Men Know That You re Taken

"What are you looking at?" she asked when she noticed that he was staring quietly at their hands. Song Yu wondered if he had any hidden agendas, so she pinched his hand softly.

When the light turned green, Qi Chengzhi made a turn without answering her. Finally, he stopped at a branded flagship store that was in the business of selling precious stones.

He told her, "Time to get down," then released his seat belt and got off.

Song Yu wondered to herself as she followed him off the car. He held her hand and walked toward the jewelry store.

"Wait." Song Yu stopped him in front of the store.

He lowered his head and looked at her. Song Yu gazed upon his handsome face and thought that it was a misunderstanding. Fearing that he would poke fun at her, she was silent for some time.

"What is it?" Qi Chengzhi saw how she lowered her bashful face and felt a stirring passion. His resonant voice softened too, and he pulled her waist so she was in his embrace.

"That... What are you going to buy here?" Song Yu asked softly and her heart was racing.

Qi Chengzhi smiled and pulled her into the shop. The warm voice of a person greeting 'Welcome' was followed by a woman's voice. "Jian Yi, which of these two looks good on me?"

Song Yu froze and looked toward the direction of the voice. Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were choosing a ring while standing by the counter. Song Yu remembered that Jian Yi's parents came over the day before to give her parents the wedding invitation, so Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were probably there to choose their wedding rings!

"How may I help you?" A store attendant came over when Song Yu was still distracted.

"Couple rings." Qi Chengzhi's crisp and resonant voice attracted the attention of Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue.

Jian Yi's eyes laid upon the hand that Qi Chengzhi placed on Song Yu's waist. The words 'Couple rings' that Qi Chengzhi uttered rang inside Jian Yi's mind, turning his expressions stiff and leading him to clench his fist.

Meanwhile, Qi Chengyue was giving Song Yu the death stare. She did not expect Song Yu to be all lovey-dovey with Qi Chengzhi after seeing him going on a blind date with another woman the day before. 'Just how low is Song Yu's self-esteem?'

What Qi Chengyue did not know was that Qi Chengzhi sat there for no more than five minutes before he ran out after Song Yu.

Song Yu cast an indifferent glance at them. Qi Chengyue then sported a hypocritical smile while dragging Jian Yi over to them, "Big Brother, what a coincidence!"

Qi Chengzhi nodded plainly and glanced at Jian Yi. "Here to choose a wedding ring?"

"Why yes! I just wanted to try all these different styles, but I went through this and that and I still can't decide on anything." Qi Chengyue stretched out her left hand and looked proudly at the ring she was trying on her ring finger. "How about you help me take a look, Song Yu? We're both women, so our judgment is more accurate than men. After trying so many rings, Jian Yi still said that everything looked beautiful on me."

"I think it's much better for you to choose your wedding ring yourself. It's not that good for others to decide for you, because you'll blame them if it doesn't look good," Qi Chengzhi said while Song Yu kept quiet. He then continued indifferently, "Take your time."

Qi Chengzhi had already brought Song Yu over to the counter that displayed couple rings. Their styles were much more minimalist, and in fact, Song Yu did not like anything too fancy. Something simple and understated would be just perfect.

Qi Chengzhi's earlier words caused Song Yu to be unable to stop herself from looking at him, but the man was so devoid of reaction that it seemed as though he never met Qi Chengyue.

"For now, you'll wear a couple ring so other men know that you're taken. When the time comes for a wedding ring, we'll get something more substantial." In the midst of choosing the rings, Qi Chengzhi leaned over suddenly to her ear. His voice was even hoarser because he lowered his volume significantly. Song Yu's ears turned red from feeling the hotness of his breath.

Her hands began trembling and she did not dare to look at Qi Chengzhi. Could his words be taken to mean that he was already thinking about marriage?

Jian Yi failed to restrain himself from looking at Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. When he saw how Qi Chengzhi leaned over and whispered intimately into her ear, his stare became so violent that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Jian Yi, what do you think about this?" Qi Chengyue's voice snapped Jian Yi out of it.

His gaze shifted over to her hands. The diamond ring looked extremely exquisite when worn on her fair and delicate fingers, but Jian Yi could not process what he saw fully. The only thing flashing through his eyes were how Song Yu would look when she wore the couple ring.

Jian Yi took a deep breath and said, "This one looks nice. It suits you and looks very luxuriant too."

Qi Chengyue's expression sank immediately, because she had actually tried on the same ring much earlier.

"Why? You don't like it?" Jian Yi asked after seeing her changed expression.

"No. This one then." Qi Chengyue forced out a smile and glanced coldly in Song Yu's direction.

...

...

Song Yu's mind was still in a mess because of Qi Chengzhi's words. When she finally came back to her senses, a ring was already adorning her middle finger. It was incredibly beautiful despite the absence of a diamond, and she fell in love with it at first sight.

Although it was simple and did not have a gemstone, it was still considerably expensive due to the fact that it was branded.

"How about this one?" Qi Chengzhi held her hand and massaged her delicate middle finger gently.

"It looks good. I like it." Song Yu flashed a genuine smile and scrutinized the ring on her finger. "Let's go with this one."

Qi Chengzhi then took the counterpart to that ring and placed it in front of her without saying anything.

Song Yu looked at him—a man who kept his feelings to himself—and wondered how he was so good at pretending!

She giggled, took the ring, and placed his finger slowly into it.

The absence of ring marks on his fingers was a sign that he did not have a habit of wearing them.

The white gold ring looked very elegant on his long and slender finger.

For the first time, Song Yu felt that it was extremely charming for a man to wear a ring. She was thoroughly anticipating how he would look with a ring on his ring finger.

His fair-skinned, well-defined hand was delicate and debonair; his veins and blood vessels were also faintly discernible - the addition of a ring on his middle finger made her feel as though she had bound him to herself.

Being the normal human that she was, a feeling of pride surfaced uncontrollably from the depths of her heart: she felt that way because she realized that a man like him belonged to her.

Adoration filled her heart, and a momentary inability to control her emotions led her to hold his hand up and plant a devout kiss on the finger where his ring was on.

While waiting for Jian Yi to make payment with his card, Qi Chengyue looked around and managed to catch what Song Yu was doing.

Disgraceful!

She stared at Song Yu in disgust and took a few sudden strides over to them.

"Big Brother, Song Yu, are you done choosing?" Qi Chengyue glanced at the couple rings on their fingers.

Qi Chengzhi swiped his card and nodded.

"I'm going for a meal with Jian Yi after this. How about we go together?" Naturally, there was no way Qi Chengyue could cause a scene to separate Song Yu from Qi Chengzhi in such a public place.

She never once believed that Song Yu liked Qi Chengzhi genuinely. She believed instead that Song Yu was using Qi Chengzhi to get close to Jian Yi.

It was the perfect opportunity for her to show Song Yu how much she and Jian Yi were in love. She wanted to erase Song Yu's desire for Jian Yi completely.

Song Yu, meanwhile, had absolutely no idea what Qi Chengyue was thinking, and because Song Yu did not have any intention of getting involved with Jian Yi, whatever absurdity in Qi Chengyue's mind naturally did not occur to Song Yu.

There was no reply from Song Yu, only a frown.

Qi Chengzhi completed the transaction and walked over to the unhappy Jian Yi, saying, "Sure."

Song Yu was clueless as to what went on in Qi Chengzhi's mind and what could possibly make him say yes. Would it not be digging one's own grave by having dinner with them?

In the end, all of them went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant.

"Song Yu, I heard that Jian Yi's parents went and delivered the wedding invitation to your parents. You'll come to our wedding, won't you?" Qi Chengyue smiled and asked. The dimples beside her lips were showing, too.

"That depends. I don't know if I'd be working overtime," Song Yu replied simply. She did not want to talk with her so much. Song Yu liked the spicy fragrance from the Vietnamese dishes, but the two people in front of her made her to lose her appetite.

"Our wedding's a rare occasion, and you and Jian Yi were childhood friends. You must come, no matter what! If you're working overtime, can't you just take leave?" Qi Chengyue looked at Song Yu's frown and felt pleased at herself, because her guess—that Song Yu was unable to attend the wedding because of the feelings toward Jian Yi—seemed to be proven right.

Song Yu kept quiet and said nothing. She had no other excuses and had nothing else to say.

She looked down and frowned. A pair of ankle boots adorned her feet while a pair of black tights covered the rest of her legs. Her fair skin, hidden from normal view, was faintly discernible when her knees were bent.

Under the table, Qi Chengzhi's concealed hand—now even more masculine as a result of the newly bought ring—insisted on sending an electrifying shock through her body.

Bit by bit, Song Yu became more and more fidgety. Blushing, she turned to look at him, but his expression remained unchanged as he used his chopsticks to pick up a spring roll and dip it in fish sauce. He then ate it in one elegant motion. His upper body above the table did not even move in the slightest, and no one could possibly have made out that he was doing something so naughty under the table.

Qi Chengyue looked at Song Yu and felt increasingly pleased. Song Yu's blush was an indication of guilty anger, and she even looked at Qi Chengzhi as if pleading for him to back her up.

It was a pity though, that Qi Chengzhi ignored her completely. 'He's probably angry that Song Yu still cared for Jian Yi!'

The redness showed no signs of ceasing from Song Yu's face. 'We're supposed to be eating! What is he trying to do!'

Being in a relationship with him taught her that he was an animal, but she never expected him to have no limits when it came to having his way with her!

"Jian Yi, I wanna eat the crab curry. Can you remove the shells for me?" Qi Chengyue wrapped both her hands around Jian Yi's arm and threw herself all over him. She looked up at him and acted all kittenish. She made a point to raise her flirty voice so she could attract Song Yu's attention.

Jian Yi lowered his gaze to her and was silent for a moment before he took a crab and began deshelling it.

Qi Chengyue watched as Jian Yi's fingers were stained yellow from the curry. She looked contentedly at Song Yu and began curling her lips into a goading smile.

Song Yu could no longer keep herself still, so in her reddened face, she pushed Qi Chengzhi's hand to one side and stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to the toilet." Song Yu looked down to prevent Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi from seeing her odd demeanor. Then, she hurried away from the table despite nearly stumbling over from feeling weak in her legs.

Qi Chengyue shifted her gaze away from Song Yu's scoundrel-like figure and chided sarcastically, "Big Brother, how can you be so patient with a woman who's obviously so jealous of another man's woman? I was being romantic with Jian Yi only for a while, and yet she was already unable to bear with it? If she's married into the family, are you really going to put up with her looking at my man all day?"

Qi Chengzhi frowned and placed his chopsticks down slowly. He glanced and the both of them and then pursed his lips and said, "I'm going to the toilet."

"Hmph! That two-timing woman. What is it that my big brother likes about her?!" Qi Chengyue gazed briefly at Qi Chengzhi's rear figure and continued unhappily, "My big brother is definitely keeping score with her actions. From his look just now, I don't think he and Song Yu will last long."

If Song Yu really did break up with Qi Chengzhi, the happiest person would be none other than Jian Yi.

As someone who was unworthy of Song Yu's association, he was constantly thinking of how he could once again bring Song Yu back to her rightful position ever since Song Yu was in dire straits. He wanted to keep on becoming better and better, so that he could one day save her from her predicament.

In fact, he conceded that it was his feelings of inferiority that drove his desire to change Song Yu's position for the better. He wanted her to look up to him; to revere him.

Song Yu would always leave a mark in his heart; a mark that cannot be removed and will remain forever.

He knew that it was selfish of him to marry Qi Chengyue while having Song Yu as his lover at the same time, but he was unable to help himself. He wanted her for himself, and he could not bear to see her with a different man.

Qi Chengyue thought that Song Yu was jealous and that Qi Chengzhi was angry at Song Yu, but Jian Yi knew that Qi Chengyue was mistaken.

From a man's perspective, Song Yu's blush was clearly that of coyness. Although she did glare at Qi Chengzhi, there was a certain tenderness in her look.

On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi had never displayed any sort of anger toward Song Yu, with his face remaining as unemotive as ever.

Qi Chengyue's statement was nothing but her deluded imagination.

Jian Yi was still trying to remove the flesh from the crab pincers. The kitchen crew had broken them lightly before serving to enable easier removal, but he exerted too much force by accident and crushed the meat inside.

"You didn't have to show all that to Song Yu. I'm getting married to you, and I'm not involved with her in any way. There's no point in doing all this," Jian Yi said sullenly.

"Are you hurt because of what I did to Song Yu?" Qi Chengyue slammed the chopsticks on the table and had an ugly expression. "I've been patient for a long time. Ever since Song Yu showed up, you looked very absent-minded. Not even a single smile from you. You say that there's no point in me doing that, but with how you're carrying yourself, what do you expect me to think?"

"You're just thinking things. I'm not acting any different than usual." Jian Yi said coldly, "We're getting married. If you keep on doing this, when will it ever end? Must Song Yu leave B City for you to feel secure? I don't want to keep talking about this with you. Have you forgotten what I've told you the other day?"

"I didn't forget." Qi Chengyue's attitude softened up and she wrapped her arm over his. "But can't we show our affection to each other when we're in front of Song Yu? If we need to appear as though we are not affectionate with each other, isn't that a sign that you still care about her?"

"If you insist on doing that, there's nothing I can say." An audible clink was produced as Jian Yi threw the pincers onto the plate. He took a napkin and wiped off the curry from his fingers, then took his phone and got up. "I'm making a call."

...

...

In the washroom, Song Yu washed her hands and wiped them dry with a paper towel. Since her palms were still cool from coming into contact with water, she patted her hands on her reddened face. She took a few deep breaths and took out her phone in order to send a message to Qi Chengzhi. [Don't fool around anymore!]

Having kept her phone, she opened the bathroom door and was blocked by a sturdy chest, and because it caught her by surprise, she nearly rammed head-on into the person.

She laid her eyes upon a black striped shirt and she caught a whiff of that familiar fresh fragrance. Her eyes shifted downward and she saw those delicate fingers holding a phone, the screen of which was displaying the message that had sent just moments ago.

"Is there anyone inside?" Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and allowed his fresh scent to crash in.

Song Yu took a deep and intense breath. She was quivering from head to toe, and her lips trembled so severely that she could not utter even a single word. She could feel her eyelashes coming into contact with him, and his warm energy was incredibly numbing.

"We're at the toilet!" Song Yu's voice faltered as she tried resisting, but her soft voice was absolutely devoid of any persuasiveness.

"That is why we shouldn't stand here for too long. It won't be a nice sight," Qi Chengzhi remarked.

"..."'He knew that and yet he's here blocking me?'

Song Yu's face was red because of anger and embarrassment. "Go! Don't stand in my way!"

"Is there anyone inside?" Qi Chengzhi ignored her and asked again. His resonant voice circled her cheek and penetrated slowly into her bones, up into the depths of her heart.

Her toes were already curling up involuntarily inside her ankle boots, and her belly trembled as she retracted it. Qi Chengzhi's slender fingers stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Both his hands then rested on her waist, making Song Yu feel his dominance.

"Do you expect to hold me back like this?" Like an electric current, his low voice surged through the top of her head all the way to her lips.

'But... But we can't simply do it here!'

Those were the words that floated in Song Yu's mind, but for some reason, she had no control over her mouth, and she could only hear herself say, "There's no one."

Qi Chengzhi's gaze became more intense. He carried her into the washroom and locked the door.

...

...

Jian Yi pretended to make a call, but after making a turn he relaxed his phone-holding hand. Looking over, he noticed a washroom at the far end of the corridor. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were standing at the door. Qi Chengzhi hugged her and said something, then carried her abruptly into the washroom.

He gnashed his teeth hard when he saw that. His hand gripped his phone tightly and walked over. There was even a sign saying that it was the ladies' room.

He tried twisting the door handle, but the door had been locked in the inside.

What else could the two of them be doing inside a washroom?

Jian Yi's fists were trembling. He retreated back with a few half-steps until he was leaning against the wall. He gnashed his teeth fiercely and both his eyes turned red.

He never smoked because Song Yu once told him that his scent was very fresh. Back in school, when it was trendy for boys to smoke and show their manliness, he still did not smoke because he was afraid it would obscure the freshness that Song Yu so loved.