Chapter 185: Chapter 185

While the old couple enjoyed their quiet moment together, Song Chengjun walked out of the house with his wife by his side and stopped when they saw their son preparing to leave.

"Song Chengfeng," he called, his voice calm yet heavy with authority.

The younger man froze mid-step, his hand on the car door.

"Dad, Mom," he greeted, closing the door and facing them.

"I never taught you to be rude to your grandparents. How could you just walk out like that?" His father’s tone carried clear disapproval, his eyes cold and stern.

Song Chengfeng said nothing. He lowered his head in silent acknowledgment, accepting his fault without argument. He waited, shoulders tense, for his father to finish speaking so he could finally leave.

But how could a father not understand his own son? The quiet defiance in his son’s posture only deepened Song Chengjun’s irritation. For the first time, he truly understood why his own father could never stay calm when dealing with this boy.

"You crossed the line today with your words, Chengfeng." Song Chengjun sighed heavily and shook his head. Song Chengfeng lifted his gaze, confusion flickering in his eyes.

"Your grandpa once looked up to his own father. He wanted to be just like him, until he learned the truth—that the family’s wealth and power came from betrayal. He despised the blood that was not shed by his own hands. And among the families that fell because of your great-grandfather’s ruthlessness was your grandma’s family." Song Chengjun paused, his eyes fixed on his son before continuing, his voice lower now, tinged with memory.

"Do you know that the words you spoke earlier may be the exact same ones your grandpa said to his father? I may not know every detail of his past, but I know this much: your grandpa swore that he would never become like his own father. And when you said those words, the look on his face told me that you reminded him of that man he has spent his whole life trying not to be. We loved and spoiled you, Chengfeng. I let you do as you pleased and protected you even after you were old enough to stand on your own. But no matter how stubborn you are, never disrespect your grandpa the way you did today. Do not take his love for granted."

After saying so, Song Chengjun placed a firm hand on his son’s shoulder before walking away with his wife. He didn’t even allow Mrs. Song to say a word to their son.

Song Chengjun had no issue with his only son marrying into the Qi family, but he could not stay silent when that same son disrespected the man who raised him.

To him, there was nothing wrong with defending one’s lover, yet it should never come at the cost of making his grandpa question himself or doubt the choices that once defined his life.

Song Chengfeng stood there by himself, watching his parents’ figures slowly disappear into the distance. He stared at their backs with a blank expression before quietly entering his car.

As his father’s words lingered in his mind, Song Chengfeng began to realise how far he had gone with what he said earlier. The weight of his own stubbornness pressed against his chest. He thought of turning back to apologise, but after a moment of hesitation, he understood that Grandpa Song might not wish to see him now. It would be better to let his grandpa cool down first before offering his apology.

Thus, the feud between the grandfather and grandson came to an end without another word spoken. Silence settled between them, but in that silence, both men reflected deeply. Each recognised that they had crossed the line in their own way.

Yet this conflict did not drive them apart. Instead, it tied them closer.

However, no matter what had happened, Song Chengfeng had achieved what he set out to do. He had gained the approval of the Song family to marry into the Qi family.

And now, all that remained was for the Qi family to come and propose.

"Their first child must carry our Song family name!"

Grandpa Song declared firmly, knocking his cane against the floor with a sharp sound that echoed through the hall. His gaze, filled with mock ferocity, fell upon his old friend as if daring him to object.

That old friend was none other than Grandpa He. Watching the man who had grown increasingly childish over the years, Grandpa He looked at him with clear disdain.

"Your grandson is marrying into our family. Of course, their first child will carry the Qi family’s last name. What are you so confused about, Weiguo?" he retorted sharply.

Everyone present could tell that Grandpa He was deliberately trying to provoke him. All could see it—except the one being provoked.

The more agitated Grandpa Song became, the more amused Grandpa He looked. Beside them, Grandpa Qi sat in silence, watching the two elderly men bicker like children. He chose to remain the bigger man, not interfering, though the faint amusement flickering in his eyes betrayed his restraint.

Song Chengjun looked at the three old men and sighed, shaking his head in helplessness. Turning to his father, he tried to coax him gently.

"Dad, it doesn’t matter which last name their children take. They will still be your great-grandchildren."

Grandpa Song glared at his son, clearly displeased, and muttered that he was useless and should have just kept quiet.

Seeing that look, Song Chengjun could only sigh again in defeat. He turned to Mr. Qi, his future in-law, and gave him a pleading glance, signaling for him to step in.

Catching the cue, Mr. Qi cleared his throat lightly before speaking.

"General Song is right. The last name of their child is not the most important matter. We can simply let them discuss it themselves."

Yet deep down, Mr. Qi felt a twinge of regret. Of course he cared about which surname his grandchild would bear. Part of the reason he had agreed to this marriage in the first place was his wish for the child to carry the Qi name.

However, his wife had already warned him not to show too much arrogance or clash needlessly with Old Song. Everyone knew how unreasonable Grandpa Song could be and that only Grandpa He had the patience to handle him.

"Shut up!" The unexpected roar from the three old men came almost in unison, directed at poor Mr. Qi just as he was trying to ease the tension.

Startled, Mr. Qi raised his brows in disbelief, then slowly nodded and sat back in silence, resigning himself to their stubborn quarrel.

He turned toward his daughter, shrugging his shoulders slightly, his eyes conveying a silent message: Dad tried, but these old men are impossible.

Catching the message, Qi Jianyi struggled to suppress her laughter. Ah, these old men truly had a knack for turning the smallest matter into a grand debate.

She bit her lip to hold back a laugh, while Qi Jinlu had already failed miserably, letting out a few light giggles that immediately earned her a sharp glare from their mother.

Meanwhile, Qi Jinli glanced at his sister with quiet concern, his brows slightly furrowed. The look warmed Qi Jianyi’s heart. As expected, Qi Jinlu was hopeless, but Qi Jinli always carried himself with calm thoughtfulness and care.

Meeting his worried gaze, Qi Jianyi gave a small nod of reassurance before turning to the man she was supposed to marry.

She raised her brows slightly, silently signaling for him to do something before the situation spiraled further.

Song Chengfeng blinked once, his lips curving faintly as if to signal that he understood. His composed expression carried a trace of quiet amusement, as though he found genuine entertainment in watching three elderly men quarrel so passionately over a child who had not even been conceived yet.

Qi Jianyi’s jaw tightened. Why did he look so entertained by this? Was it truly that amusing to see their grandfathers fighting over surnames?

For a moment, she doubted whether Song Chengfeng had any proper idea on how to end this peacefully.

Her skeptical eyes shifted toward the man beside him—He Zeqing.

However, before she could mouth a word, He Zeqing had already raised his hands in surrender, his expression saying everything. He shook his head slowly, shoulders lifting in helplessness.

Was he insane enough to interfere? Speaking between those old men was no different from digging his own grave.

Besides, his standing in the He family had long fallen to the bottom. Though a capable and respected president outside, within his own family, he was merely He Zeqing—someone whose voice carried no weight.

Qi Jianyi looked at him in quiet disappointment, realising there was no help to expect from him. Her only remaining hope lay in Song Chengfeng, trusting that he could somehow defuse the situation without fanning the fire.

"Why is it so difficult for me to get married?" she whispered to herself, half in frustration, half in disbelief.

Before Qi Jianyi could take another breath, she heard Song Chengfeng’s voice, deep and resolute, fill the air. Yet, the content of his words only brought her another headache.

"If Jianyi and I have a child in the future, the first born will take after the Qi last name. If we are blessed with another, they will take after mine. This is what I’ve decided." His tone was calm but firm, and his gaze locked straight on Grandpa Song’s eyes, leaving the old man speechless.

Qi Jianyi slowly facepalmed herself. Why did she even bother to ask for help from this man in the first place? She should have known he would only say things that stirred more chaos.

Grandpa Song stared at his only grandson with weary eyes, utterly defeated. Why had he even bothered to continue the Song lineage when his own grandson no longer cared? Turning to his son and daughter-in-law, Grandpa Song studied them briefly before speaking.

"Both of you are still young, and it’s not too late to give me another grandchild. This one—" Grandpa Song glanced at Song Chengfeng and shook his head, "hopeless."

"Song Weiguo!" Grandma Song scolded sharply, ashamed of her husband’s words and angered by his open contempt toward their grandson.

"What?" Grandpa Song sulked, his tone indignant.

"That brat doesn’t care about us anymore. Since he wants to act like that, then let’s just have another grandson. If Chengjun doesn’t want to have another child, then adopt one. I don’t want this one anymore. And you, Qi family, take him away as soon as possible."

He waved his hand dismissively, as if announcing that the marriage had been settled and that Song Chengfeng would marry into the Qi family that very day.

Grandpa He burst out laughing. Every time he met Grandpa Song, the old man never failed to surprise him with how unreasonable he could be. Even Grandpa Qi was taken aback, secretly wondering if he would ever have the same audacity to behave in front of others.

While the older men laughed, Mrs. Song’s face turned crimson from embarrassment. Even her husband, Song Chengjun, felt his ears burn red. Having another child? Raising Song Chengfeng alone had already taken all their strength, and they had long sworn never to repeat that experience.

Finally, with the approval granted, Song Chengfeng should have been pleased. Yet, upon hearing his grandfather’s careless remark about adopting another child, a frown creased his brow.

Noticing his displeasure, Qi Jianyi was secretly amused. Was he jealous? she wondered.

"No." His rejection came swiftly, before his parents could even react.

Everyone froze, eyes turning toward him in surprise. Even Grandpa Song and Grandma Song hadn’t expected such an immediate refusal. After all, he had always been calm and indifferent, rarely showing emotion toward anything.

"Why not?" Grandpa Song grumbled, pretending to be displeased, though a faint spark of delight lit up in his heart. At least this grandson still knew how to be jealous.

Everyone waited for Song Chengfeng’s reply, but he said nothing further. His eyes were cold, and his silence spoke louder than words. The message was clear enough—he wanted this topic to end.

Grandma Song noticed his reluctance to speak further and quickly stepped in to rescue her grandson from the awkward moment.

"Of course, we are not really going to adopt another child. Your grandpa is talking nonsense." Grandma Song then turned toward Grandma He, smoothly steering the conversation back to the matter of Song Chengfeng and Qi Jianyi’s marriage.

"When do you think they should hold the wedding? I think it should be as soon as possible. After all, our Chengfeng is no longer young, and he is also eager to marry your granddaughter." Grandma Song spoke with a warm smile and then glanced curiously at Qi Jianyi.

She had always wondered what truly happened between her grandson and the young woman. Back then, the two of them had seemed deeply in love, yet when Qi Jianyi regained consciousness, there was not a single trace of affection left in her eyes for Song Chengfeng.

Though her actions had puzzled Grandma Song greatly, it was not only the girl’s behavior that confused her. Song Chengfeng’s reaction back then had been just as baffling.

Why did these two, who once loved each other so sincerely, suddenly act as if they were complete strangers? Then, after seven years apart, they appeared before everyone again, this time together, behaving as though their love had never faded, as though the years of distance had never existed.

Grandma Song had many questions in her mind but unfortunately, she was destined to never get her answers as Qi Jianyi’s situation was too complicated and unbelievable to be told. And the Qi and He family also didn’t want a lot of people to know about it.

Hearing Grandma Song’s question, Grandma He also turned toward her granddaughter. She and the others had long heard that Qi Jianyi wished to marry Song Chengfeng, yet the girl had never given them a specific date. Fınd the newest release on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩

And there was no point in asking Song Chengfeng either. That young man was completely hopeless when it came to patience; he would only answer with "as soon as possible."

If he had his way, he would already be dragging her to the Bureau of Civil Affairs to get their certificate right now. Qi Jianyi felt everyone’s gaze settle upon her after the question was asked.

She remained quiet for a moment, then curved her lips into a soft smile and said, "In one month?"

"One month is too long." Song Chengfeng was the first to object.

He had already waited so long for her. To wait yet another month before she would truly be his was unbearable.

Qi Jianyi turned to look at him, her eyes deep and filled with meaning, as if she wished to say something but found herself unable to. After a moment, she finally spoke in a low voice, "There’s somewhere I need to go before we can get married."

Her words brought a wave of confusion across the room, though a few quickly grasped her hidden meaning. Mrs. Qi and Song Chengfeng were among those who understood at once. They knew what she meant beneath those simple words.

One month was needed because Qi Jianyi had to return to her world, to meet the family she had left behind. Marriage, to her, was never something simple or casual. She wanted her loved ones to know of her union, to bless it before she began her new life.

Song Chengfeng looked at her deeply, his gaze heavy with both affection and helplessness, before reluctantly agreeing.

"One month it is then."

And so, without any further discussion, their wedding date was set for one month later—the day after Qi Jianyi returned from her journey to her world. It was decided this way because Song Chengfeng could not rest easy otherwise. And of course, only those who knew, understood the reason why Song Chengfeng specifically chose this date.

He wished to marry her the moment she came back, afraid that if he delayed even a day, she might change her mind. Qi Jianyi could only laugh softly and agree to his insistence.