Chapter 186: Chapter 186

"Come back soon," Song Chengfeng whispered sulkily, his breath brushing against Qi Jianyi’s neck as he nudged her softly, unwilling to let her go.

Qi Jianyi dodged his touch with a laugh that rang like a melody.

"I will just go back for one day. Why are you acting like I’m going forever?" Her teasing tone only deepened his glare. He looked at her with visible displeasure, his eyes dark and filled with childish stubbornness.

"I don’t care. You can only go back for one day and come back to marry me," he declared arrogantly, his tone carrying both command and longing, which only made Qi Jianyi laugh harder. Shaking her head, she lifted both hands to cup his face, her fingers tracing his jaw with tender affection.

Leaning closer, she pressed a kiss to his pouty lips, smiling between their soft contact as she whispered, "Of course I will come back and marry you. How can I let go of my man?"

Her words brought a faint smile to Song Chengfeng’s lips. His hand moved to the back of her neck, his fingers curling gently as he drew her in again. Their lips met once more, slow and full of warmth.

In recent days, neither of them could conceal the affection that burned quietly between them, especially Song Chengfeng, who had turned uncharacteristically clingy since morning.

"Jianyi..." he murmured against her lips, his voice laced with affection so deep it trembled slightly.

Qi Jianyi raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for him to finish what he wanted to say.

"Please, come back," he said at last, his tone low yet unsteady, betraying the fear he had tried to conceal.

Beneath his calmness, there was a silent dread that she might return to her world, meet her family, and choose not to come back to him at all.

Qi Jianyi understood his unspoken fear. She leaned into his embrace, allowing him to hold her as tightly as he needed. Her hands brushed gently along his back in soothing circles, trying to quiet the storm within him.

"I will come back to marry you, Song Chengfeng. I promise," she whispered, her voice barely above the silence that surrounded them.

Hearing her words, his anxious heart began to ease, though the shadow of unease still lingered in his eyes. It was not a matter of distrust, but the remnants of pain left by seven years of separation. An invisible wound that only time could truly heal.

When Qi Jianyi noticed his silence, she broke the embrace and narrowed her eyes slightly. Her tone shifted, carrying authority that allowed no refusal.

"As soon as I come back, you will marry me. I will not give you a chance to run away. Do you hear me?" Her voice lowered into a firm, commanding tone, which only made Song Chengfeng’s lips curve in quiet amusement as he melted under her gaze.

"My princess, I’m all yours," he murmured teasingly, stealing a brief kiss before adding in a whisper, "When you return, I shall be your prince consort. The one and only."

Qi Jianyi rolled her eyes, unable to stop a faint smile.

"Why princess? Am I not capable of being a queen?"

"A queen is also good," he replied immediately, not even pausing to think, his eyes glimmering with playful devotion.

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re a queen or a princess. No matter what, I’ll still be your only prince consort." She looked at him speechless, half exasperated, half endeared.

"You’re so full of nonsense," she said, pushing him away lightly before walking toward the dressing table.

They were in Qi Jianyi’s bedroom at the Qi residence. How Song Chengfeng had managed to enter despite Mr. Qi’s watchful eyes was another story. The culprit, of course, was none other than the innocent Qi Jinli.

With only a promise to accompany him to an art exhibition, Qi Jinli had willingly covered for them. It amused Qi Jianyi greatly, for her younger brother was no longer a naive teenager and could easily attend the exhibition by himself.

Yet he still allowed himself to be tricked—a scheme that even Qi Jianning would have seen through in an instant.

What Qi Jianyi did not know, however, was that Qi Jinli was not deceived at all. He simply wanted to spend time with his sister. Even if it meant pretending to be fooled, even if it meant acting like a boy who wanted to be doted on once again.

Being the youngest, Qi Jinli had always been the most sensitive among the three siblings. He longed for her attention, unlike Qi Jinlu, who believed that affection should be mutual.

Thus, when Qi Jianyi made that proposal, Qi Jinli accepted without hesitation. It was never about the exhibition. It was about accompanying the sister he missed dearly.

"You should go back. I’m going to sleep, and tomorrow it will not be me who will wake up," Qi Jianyi said, dismissing Song Chengfeng gently. Her tone was soft yet firm, commanding him to leave and wait until their wedding day.

She stood before the dressing table, slowly removing her jewelry one piece at a time. As she was getting ready to wash up, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist.

She turned slightly and found the man who refused to let go.

"I’ll wait for you," Song Chengfeng whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder, his warmth seeping into her skin. Qi Jianyi smiled faintly and nodded.

"I know," she replied softly, her reflection in the mirror showing the same gentle smile that she reserved only for him.

Qi Jianyi opened her eyes, and the first thing that greeted her was the familiar ceiling above her. The soft scent in the air, the neat arrangement of furniture, and the gentle light falling through the curtains told her exactly where she was.

Every detail around her felt achingly familiar. She knew this place very well. It was the room she had once decorated with great care, putting thought into every corner and detail. This was her room, in her real world.

Before she could even sit up from the bed, the quiet was broken as the door burst open from the outside, the sound startling her.

Qi Jianyi turned her head toward the source of the noise, her brows lifting in mild surprise at the sight of the person who had just barged in without knocking. The source of this content ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Sister!" a bright voice shouted. It was none other than Qi Jianning, the only person in the house bold enough to rush into her sister’s room without permission.

Still calling out, Qi Jianning ran straight toward the bed, her steps quick and light before she jumped onto it. Within moments, she threw herself into Qi Jianyi’s arms, embracing her tightly as if she was afraid her sister might disappear again.

"I miss you," Qi Jianning whispered softly, her voice trembling with a hint of emotion that made Qi Jianyi’s heart soften. The words brought a gentle smile to her lips.

Qi Jianyi wrapped her arms around her sister and returned the hug before asking quietly, "How do you know it’s me?"

She had not even spoken before this, yet Qi Jianning was already certain of who she was. That kind of confidence made Qi Jianyi curious.

Qi Jianning released the hug and puffed her cheeks, deliberately showing her sulky expression for her sister to see.

"You are my sister. Of course I can certainly know that it is you," she muttered in a grumbling tone, clearly offended that Qi Jianyi had even asked.

"Well, I’m just asking," Qi Jianyi said with a soft laugh as she reached out and affectionately ruffled her sister’s hair.

"It’s good to know that you still know how to miss me." Her tone turned playful, and she reached forward to pinch Qi Jianning’s cheeks before slowly getting down from the bed. Qi Jianning rubbed her reddened cheeks while following close behind, unwilling to lose the chance to stay near her sister.

"Of course I miss you. Don’t you miss me too?" she asked proudly, her voice carrying a confident air as though it was only natural for Qi Jianyi to feel the same way.

Qi Jianyi raised her brows and shook her head lightly.

"You are still as shameless as ever."

"What shameless? Huh! I’ll tell Mom that you don’t miss us!"

Qi Jianning huffed in protest, then spun around dramatically and stomped toward the door, her footsteps growing louder with every step she took.

Her exaggerated reaction did not make Qi Jianyi anxious at all. Instead, it made her laugh even harder. Watching her sister’s childish behaviour warmed her heart in a way that words could not describe.

"Still as childish as ever," Qi Jianyi whispered fondly to herself, her smile lingering as she walked into the bathroom to wash up before going out to meet her parents.

"I’m getting married tomorrow." Qi Jianyi said the moment she saw both her parents finally set down their chopsticks.

For a while, she had been searching for the right moment to tell them, yet her parents’ excitement upon seeing her again had made it nearly impossible to interrupt. They had spent the entire morning doting on her, asking countless questions, and fussing over her as if she might vanish again at any time.

It was not until their breakfast was nearly finished that she found the courage to say the words she had been holding back.

Father Qi’s head jerked upward at lightning speed, his eyes widening in disbelief. The words struck him so suddenly that he froze for a brief moment, as though his mind refused to process them.

Turning sharply toward his wife, he looked for confirmation, half-convinced that he must have misheard or was simply imagining things. Unfortunately for him, Mother Qi did not offer the reassurance he sought.

Mother Qi, though clearly taken aback, recovered far quicker than her husband. Her surprise was soon replaced by a radiant smile, the kind of expression that could only come from genuine happiness.

Unlike her husband, whose face had already darkened, she looked utterly delighted.

"Really? Did Chengfeng treat you well?" Mother Qi asked warmly as she reached out across the table to take her daughter’s hand, her eyes full of affection and curiosity.

At the mention of her fiancé’s name, Qi Jianyi’s lips curved into a tender smile. A faint blush touched her cheeks as she nodded softly.

"Well, he treats me really well," she replied, her tone calm and filled with quiet contentment.

"Isn’t it too fast for marriage?" Father Qi finally spoke, unable to restrain himself any longer. His voice carried a faint edge of disapproval as he deliberately cut into the conversation between mother and daughter.

"What do you mean by too fast? They’ve had feelings for each other for more than seven years. Was that not enough for you?" Mother Qi shot back immediately, her sharp glare warning him not to continue any further nonsense.

"Still, it’s too early for marriage," Father Qi muttered under his breath.

He wanted to protest more, but when he caught the fierce glint in his wife’s eyes, his courage deserted him. He knew very well what she was capable of when angered. A lioness defending her cubs had nothing on his wife when she was in this mood.

Mother Qi let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes at his remark.

"We got married five months after knowing each other. Thinking back, yes, you’re right—it’s too early." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, clearly mocking his logic.

She truly could not understand her husband’s reasoning. If seven years of mutual affection was still considered too soon, then what about them? They had fallen in love and married within five months, all while claiming it was destiny and true love.

"We were different," Father Qi argued weakly, sitting a little straighter as if to defend his pride.

"What’s the difference?" Mother Qi demanded, her tone laced with irritation.

"We are soulmates. We were meant to be, and I knew it the very day I laid my eyes on you." Father Qi declared shamelessly, his expression serious but his words dripping with exaggerated sincerity.

Mother Qi stared at him, speechless for a moment before finally shaking her head in disbelief.

"You are unbelievable."

"What unbelievable? What I say is the truth. You and I—even in another universe—we are still married to each other." Father Qi continued proudly, refusing to let go of his self-proclaimed righteousness.

His voice grew more confident with each word, as if he had just proven something grand and irrefutable.

Indeed, he was not entirely wrong.

Even in that other world, Miss Qi’s world, they had found each other and still ended up together. Perhaps, in some strange way, that was proof enough that they truly were meant to be.

Mother Qi could only sigh at her husband’s shamelessness, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips despite herself.