Chapter 129 - Don’t Look At Me
Changqing wanted to cover her face again nervously but he quickly held on to her hands and pulled them into his embrace. He lowered his head and saw her red and swollen face that she didn’t manage to hide in time along with her shocking acne.
He was stupefied. Changqing’s amorous eyes moistened.
She didn’t even cry when she woke up in the morning, nor did she cry when the boss called over to tell her that Chi Yining would take over for her for this week’s program, but at this moment, she inexplicably felt like crying.
“Don’t look at me. I’m ugly...” She bit her lips tightly and turned to the side, tears welling up in her eyes as though they were about to fall.
Song Chuyi felt that if attacked her again, she would definitely cry even harder. He held her shoulders and comforted her gently. “You’re not ugly. It’s quite cute.”
“You said I wasn’t pretty just now, so how am I cute? It’s obviously so ugly.” Changqing didn’t hold it in any longer and big drops of tears started falling.
“I was teasing you.” Song Chuyi took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe her tears. “It’s really not ugly; you’re cute with a swollen face.”
“That’s not true...” Changqing said hoarsely as she sniffed.
“It is.” Song Chuyi lowered his head and kissed her lips. An enchanting and alluring voice came out from his thin lips and he said, “Don’t cry. If your tears mix with the medicine, it will take longer to heal.”
Changqing felt the kiss was sweet but she still said with a pout, “If it doesn’t heal, are you going to despise me?”
“Why would I? A person won’t be pretty forever. There will come a day where one will turn old and ugly. Since I’m married to you, no matter whether you’re ugly or old, I won’t despise you. Anyway, I’ll become old and ugly too,” Song Chuyi said gently while gazing at her deeply.
His words made Changqing’s heart beat quickly and her tears stopped instantly. She looked up and gazed at his exquisite eyes foolishly and couldn’t imagine how he would look when he became old. “You men don’t age as quickly as women. When I become old in the future, you will definitely still be very handsome.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t despise you even when you’re so stupid, so I definitely won’t despise you when you become old.” Song Chuyi lowered his head and pecked her lips.
“Hmph, I have yet to despise you.” How dare he despise her for being stupid.
Changqing bit his lips as an act of vengeance.
Song Chuyi picked her up and placed her on his knees, lowering his head to kiss her deeply.
Changqing put her arms around his neck and felt all the unhappiness from that day disappearing with that kiss.
When their two lips finally parted, Changqing’s moist and shy eyes reflected his handsome features. “Why do I smell blood and antiseptic on you?”
“I haven’t had time to wash up and change after the surgery today; I can’t help it.” Realizing this, Song Chuyi let her go. “I’ll accompany you back to the Yan house to sleep tonight. It’s better for you to go home in your current condition. Besides, I’m resting during the day tomorrow. I can keep you company.”
“But...” Changqing thought about how Ruan Yang just fell out of love and didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.
“But what?” Song Chuyi looked at her.
Changqing recalled what Ruan Yang taught her yesterday. As a woman, she shouldn’t follow him back home so easily. However, it was a critical period right now and was there a need for those principles?
“Let’s go down. It should almost be time to eat,” Changqing said as she stood up.
Ruan Yang was almost done with the last dish and there was finally some sounds of movement from upstairs.
She looked up and Changqing was walking coyly in front. Her amorous eyes were moist and alluring and it seemed like she had cried but wasn’t upset. Instead, her eyes were glazing with sweetness.
As for Song Chuyi, he had his hands in his pockets, walking coolly behind her.
Ruan Yang raised her eyebrows and swept a glance at Changqing, using her gaze to mock her for being pretentious.
Changqing felt embarrassed by her gaze. Just now she was refusing to see him and she was walking down with him as though nothing happened.
She also found herself to be too unreasonable.
“Let’s eat,” Ruan Yang said with a smile to Song Chuyi, “It’s not too much, I hope you don’t mind.”
Song Chuyi took a look. There was long-brewed soup, sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken and broccoli. The colors were beautiful and the plating was exquisite and clean. He said with admiration, “Are you Cantonese?”
“Yeah.” Ruan Yang smiled. “I only know how to make these; I’m afraid you guys might not be used to it.”
“I’m fine. I’m just afraid that she...” Song Chuyi raised his eyebrows and looked at Changqing.
Changqing knew he definitely wanted to say that she was a picky eater and quickly said, “I love to eat whatever Ruan Yang makes.”
“Oh, in that case, eat some more.” Ruan Yang set the table.
Song Chuyi scooped some soup for the two women.
He took a sip of the soup and nodded. “No wonder people always say that Cantonese people are good at brewing soup. This soup is really rich.”
“Of course—Ruan Yang’s culinary skills are the best,” Changqing said joyously.
“I’m not even complimenting you,” Song Chuyi said impolitely.
Changqing snorted. “Praising my friend is akin to praising me.”
Ruan Yang shook her head and laughed softly.
After the meal, it was still early. Changqing felt bad for leaving Ruan Yang alone so early, so she suggested, “Since there happens to be three of us, why don’t we play Run Fast [1. Chinese poker game]? I haven’t played cards for a long time.”
“... Sure.” Ruan Yang nodded.
There’s a saying that said a person’s character could be told from how they played cards and Ruan Yang also wanted to take a look at Song Chuyi’s character.
Song Chuyi had no choice. Since the two women had agreed, he didn’t seem to have the right to say no.
Ruan Yang found some cards and Changqing got a book to keep score. “How about a dollar for a card, 20 dollars for every card that’s not played, and 10 dollars for a bomb?”
“Up to you,” Song Chuyi said lightly.
Ruan Yang also nodded.
Changqing shuffled the cards and the three each took their own hands. Changqing piled the cards up one by one, locked her eyebrows together and complained, “My cards aren’t good.”
“Then prepare some more money.” Song Chuyi curled his lips up. “Even though we’re a couple, we should pay what should be paid.”
“Petty.” Changqing glared at him.
She played her cards first but it seemed that she had nothing much after the first card.
Song Chuyi and Ruan Yang played against each other. In the end, Song Chuyi won.
Changqing was upset. “I have to pay 15 dollars.”
“Not just that, but Ruan Yang even had a bomb,” Song Chuyi reminded her.
Changqing felt a pinch as she kept the scores.
After playing for more than half an hour, she felt bad from top to bottom. She didn’t win a single game. Ruan Yang won four games and Song Chuyi won the rest.
Changqing held up her new hand and said with agony, “Can you stop blocking my way? Let me play a card.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll let you play a card.” Song Chuyi discarded a six, Ruan Yang discarded an eight and Changqing discarded her biggest card, the King, painfully.
Afterwards, Song Chuyi discarded a two and she couldn’t do anything more.
“I quit,” she pouted and said, “I already lost more than 300 dollars.”
What an embarrassment. She lost 400 dollars from close to half an hour of Run Fast when cards were a dollar each. Her playing skills weren’t that bad in the past—it was all Song Chuyi’s fault.
She glared at him like he was her enemy and Song Chuyi found it funny. “Your basic monthly salary from the broadcasting station should be a few ten thousands. So petty.”
Ruan Yang smiled. “In the past, we played 10 cents for a card in the dormitory. There was one time when she lost 20 dollars and she even reneged on her debt.”
Song Chuyi shook her head. Looks like his wife didn’t have very good sportsmanship.
“I don’t have cash, so I’ll send a red pocket [1. There’s a function on Wechat where the user can send electronic red pockets with money to friends.],” Changqing sent a hundred-plus dollars red pocket to Ruan Yang. After sending it, she said to Song Chuyi, “I feel that since you’re my husband, it would be too harmful to our relationship as a couple if I still have to pay you. It’s not that I don’t want to give it to you—just take it that you’re leaving the money with me and I will help you spend it.”
Song Chuyi was astonished and he laughed in a low tone. “I don’t think it will harm our relationship at all. You’d better give it to me—I can spend it myself.”
“Scrooge.” Changqing sent him a three-hundred-dollar red pocket angrily.
Ruan Yang was watching the two of them as though she was watching a show.
At last, she said, “You two better leave earlier. As a solo dog, I have been attacked by you two several times tonight.”
Changqing felt embarrassed by her words. “Then I’ll get going. I’ll come over again tomorrow to accompany you.”
Changqing put on her cap and mask to cover herself up as she came out from Ruan Yang’s apartment. “Right, will Robben be okay if we go back to the Yan’s to sleep?”
“I left him at the Song’s for these next few days. I didn’t have time to take care of him,” Song Chuchu said while he drove off.
When they reached the Yan’s, Yan Lei felt his heart aching to see her daughter’s appearance.
Song Chuyi took the opportunity while the father and daughter were chatting to give Li Shaobin a call.
“You want me to investigate that makeup artiste called Asa?” Li Shaobin was dissatisfied. “Didn’t you say last time that you were getting a divorce? Old Song, you change your mind too quickly. Your wife just got called a homosexual by the media this morning.”
“Her sexual orientation is very normal,” Song Chuyi said, “this incident isn’t that straightforward.”
“I know it’s not that straightforward, but you two are getting a divorce. Don’t tell me you fell for her,” Li Shaobin said.
“Just investigate it when I tell you to. Why are you talking so much nonsense?” Song Chuyi said coldly, sounding annoyed.
“Sure, sure, sure, I’ll investigate it. Old Song, I think your whole life is going to fall in the hands of a woman.” Li Shaobin made a dig at him.
“Tell me when you’ve found something.”
Song Chuyi didn’t speak to him long. He hung up and returned to the living room. Yan Lei beckoned him over and asked with intention, “Chuyi, do you think it looks like someone harmed Changqing?”
“Dad, don’t worry, I’ve just called a friend to investigate this matter.” Song Chuyi understood what Yan Lei meant clearly. Actually, he also indirectly wanted him to do something.
Changqing looked at her father then at Song Chuyi. “Investigate from where? Don’t tell me it’s Asa?”
“You’ll have to ask yourself that. Other than the makeup artiste yesterday, did anything else touch your face?” Song Chuyi asked.
Changqing thought it over carefully and couldn’t think of anything else.
“We’ll wait for Dr. Ye to pass me the report for the checkup and see what substance your face was infected by,” Song Chuyi said while taking a sip of tea.
Back in the room, Changqing went to shower first.
After coming out from the shower, Song Chuyi asked with a frown, “Where are my clothes? Why don’t I see them?”
Changqing suddenly thought back to that incident. Previously, she cut his clothes into pieces in a moment of rage.
She scratched the back of her head guiltily. “Who told you to initiate a divorce with me? I threw them out in a moment of rage.”
Song Chuyi stared at her for a good half a minute with that cold and handsome face, his head aching. In the end, he had no other choice but to return to the bathroom.