Although Qi Chengyan didn't turn his head, his steps clearly slowed.
"Your dad is right, you're engaged, so it's not suitable for you to be alone with me."
Cheng You pouted, "But you clearly heard today, I don't like him, and he doesn't like me either."
Qi Chengyan said coldly, "That's a separate matter. Being engaged is a fact, and it's inappropriate for you to be alone with me."
Cheng You tilted her head to look at him, "When I break off my engagement with him, will it be suitable for me to be alone with you?"
Qi Chengyan: "...No."
Cheng You pouted, "Then when will it be suitable?"
Qi Chengyan remained silent, with a righteous and unapproachable demeanor.
Cheng You couldn't stand his cold face and hypocrisy.
"Say it, when will it be suitable? Say it, say it! Hypocrite!"
Qi Chengyan's heart softened under her persistence, but he still maintained a cold expression and stopped walking.
"Neither is suitable, and you're not modest!"
Cheng You's eyes widened, not modest?
This must be some old-fashioned relic from the past!
"Better than you, hypocrite!"
Qi Chengyan glanced at her helplessly and continued walking.
However, he deliberately slowed his pace, otherwise he would have already arrived home by this time.
"Qi Zhiqing, if I break off my engagement, can you be my boyfriend?"
Qi Chengyan's mind went blank.
He tightened his face, not answering her directly, but lectured her in a stern tone, "Female comrades should be modest."
Cheng You huffed coquettishly, "If I'm modest, I won't have a boyfriend. Will you answer me, okay?"
She reached out to grab his wrist, but he dodged.
Qi Chengyan's expression was very serious, "Frivolous!"
"If I'm not frivolous, I won't have a boyfriend. You definitely won't have one, you hypocrite!"
Cheng You glared at him. He was the one who flirted first, even messing with her hair.
Qi Chengyan sighed, "I'm not a hypocrite."
"You are, otherwise why would you touch my hair and intentionally touch my ear!" Cheng You accused.
Qi Chengyan was helpless, unable to explain himself to her, so he quickened his pace, leaving Cheng You behind.
Cheng You jogged a few steps and suddenly cried out, her face contorted in pain.
"Qi Zhiqing, I sprained my ankle!"
Qi Chengyan indeed turned back and walked towards her.
He squatted down, looking at the swirl of hair on her head.
"Where does it hurt?"
Cheng You frowned and pointed to her foot, "Everywhere!"
"I'll take you to Uncle Li."
Cheng You quickly grabbed his arm, "No, no, it's too late. I need to go home. You take me home."
Qi Chengyan looked ahead. The sky was gradually darkening, and it would soon be impossible to see the road.
"I'll help you walk."
Cheng You refused, biting her lip, "It'll be too slow. Carry me!"
Qi Chengyan had no choice but to squat down and let her get on.
Where he couldn't see, Cheng You revealed a triumphant smile and carefully leaned onto his back.
As he said, he was a hypocrite!
Her soft body leaned against him, and Qi Chengyan stiffened.
Despite working hard all day, she didn't have the sweaty odor of the male youths' dormitory, only a faint, pleasant scent mixed with soap.
It was indescribably nice.
Cheng You's hands rested on his shoulders, which were broad and thick, solid like a wall of bronze.
"Let's go quickly, while no one is around."
If someone saw, he would launch into a lecture again.
Qi Chengyan carried her on his back, walking as if on level ground in the darkness, seemingly unaffected.
"Qi Zhiqing, am I heavy?"
Qi Chengyan: "Not heavy."
Cheng You snorted, "I told you, Zhao Yunlin is just a weakling."
The air around Qi Chengyan turned cold, and his voice held a hint of frost, "He carried you?"
Cheng You snorted, "No way. How could I possibly let him carry me? I hate him the most!"
In the darkness, Qi Chengyan's lips curled.
The girl chattered behind him, and he didn't interrupt, just listened quietly.
Normally a short distance, today he just wished it would be longer, even longer...
"I'm home. You can go back now."
Qi Chengyan hummed, put her down, watched her enter the house, and then turned to leave.
Cheng You entered the house with a smile. Before she could light the kerosene lamp, she heard Cheng Wenyu's voice, "Who brought you back? Why do I hear a man's voice?"
It definitely wasn't Zhao Yunlin's voice.
Cheng You was startled, "Are you trying to kill me? Scaring people will kill them!"
After lighting the kerosene lamp, she saw Cheng Wenyu's multi-colored face, and her hand trembled again.
He looked quite terrifying.
Cheng Wenyu asked again, "Elder sister and dad complained today that you were slacking off. Didn't you go to work?"
Cheng You scoffed, "Why should I go to work? Did Cheng Tao go?"
"She went to gather pig feed."
"I went to gather pig feed a few days ago too. Is it that great?"
Cheng Wenyu was speechless, "I didn't say it was great, but second aunt got into a fight today and was scolded by dad when she got back. I just wanted to ask if you could stop this, can't we live like before?"
"What does it mean to live like before? To call another woman mom, to wash clothes and cook for Cheng Tao without complaint, to give her all my things, and then to give away my fiancé?"
Cheng Wenyu mumbled, "But you were happy living like this before, weren't you? Besides, elder sister doesn't want to snatch your fiancé. What's so good about Zhao Yunlin that both of you would fight over him."
Cheng You couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore, "You go out. I don't want to talk to you. My relationship with Song Yulian and Cheng Tao is like this, and it won't change. It might even get worse in the future. I won't let them take advantage of me anymore! If they behave themselves, we'll maintain a superficial peace. If they push their luck, don't blame me for being ruthless. Cheng Wenyu, I'm telling you the same thing. If you choose sides with them, don't expect us to have any sibling affection. I don't accept any middle-ground here!"
"Then what about dad? You don't want him anymore either?"
Cheng You sneered. Knowing from her dreams that Cheng Tianhua and Song Yulian had been having an affair behind Jiang Qing's back for years, she no longer held any hope for this father.
What's more, Cheng Tianhua had never treated her very well.
He was inherently patriarchal, and because she was his first child, a daughter, he had always been disappointed.
It was only after he betrothed her to the Old Zhao family that his attitude towards Cheng You improved slightly.
However, Cheng Wenyu was a son, and Cheng Tianhua's only male heir.
Spoiled as he was, he couldn't possibly understand the injustice Cheng You had suffered.
He thought the past was good because he himself had lived a very good life.
His parents doted on him, and he had brothers to hang out with.
After his mother died, no one disciplined him anymore. The indulgence from his second mother and stepsister was seen as support in his eyes, and life couldn't have been better.
Just like now, in his eyes, Cheng You was the one destroying the peaceful life!
He felt that Cheng You had changed, becoming detestable.