I'm Rich - 58
She completely forgot about having breakfast together. The moment she ran downstairs, she didn't wait for him, bolting all the way back to her own house.
Once back inside her room, she collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the soft comforter, overcome with embarrassment.
Not that there was anything wrong with things getting a little out of hand between a couple, but that was Qi Chengyan. Before they got together, he had always been so composed, so steady around her. Just now, he had been...
Guan Zhiyi let out a muffled groan, holding her face with both hands while taking wild, deep breaths.
Calm down! Focus! Pull yourself together!
Yet simply remembering that tiny, enclosed space under the blanket left her body feeling weak. She genuinely doubted if she hadn't run fast enough, whether her nose would have started bleeding right on the spot.
As expected... she really shouldn't go bother someone first thing in the morning!
She had originally said yesterday that she would spend her only half-day of freedom today clinging to him at his place. But after what happened this morning, she was far too embarrassed to show up. It wasn't until noon, when Qi Chengyan came over to her house for lunch, that the two met again.
At home, however, besides having a normal meal, they couldn't count on anything else happening.
After eating, Guan Zhiyi went to her room to pack her belongings, then came back downstairs to wait for Mao Mao and Liu Yun to pick her up.
"When is Liu Yun getting here?" Qi Chengyan sat down beside her and asked casually.
He looked completely composed, as if nothing had happened that morning. Trying not to seem like someone who had never seen the world, Guan Zhiyi feigned calm and said, "She called just now to say she's on the way. She should be here in half an hour."
"Good," Qi Chengyan said. "Don't push yourself too hard while filming. Remember to get enough rest."
"Mm."
"And don't go on a diet anymore."
"Mm."
"Reply to my messages every day."
"Mm."
"Running off so fast this morning, were you shy?"
"Mm... wait, what?" Guan Zhiyi whipped her head around to look at him, taken off guard by how fast he changed the topic. "Me? What do I have to be shy about?"
Qi Chengyan let out a soft laugh, picked up the water glass on the coffee table, took a sip, and said plainly, "You certainly ran fast after provoking someone."
Guan Zhiyi caught her breath. Because Guan Yuanbai was watering flowers just outside in the courtyard, she didn't dare raise her voice too much. "What do you mean I provoked someone? It was obviously you, you..."
"What about me?" Qi Chengyan reached out and pinched her cheek. "You were the one who ran into someone else's bedroom first thing in the morning."
Talk about turning the tables! He was the one who pulled her onto the bed! How did it suddenly become her intentionally sneaking into his room for that!
Seeing how she wanted to argue back but didn't know where to start, Qi Chengyan was in a great mood. "Though I allow it. Feel free to drop by whenever you want in the future."
Then he added, "My bedroom door is unlocked twenty-four hours a day."
"..."
Half an hour later, Liu Yun arrived right on time. Guan Yuanbai and Qi Chengyan walked Guan Zhiyi to the door.
Stepping out of the car, Liu Yun greeted Guan Yuanbai and Qi Chengyan, then took the single small bag from Guan Zhiyi. "Get in."
Guan Zhiyi nodded and took a seat in the back row.
Seeing Guan Zhiyi get into the car, Guan Yuanbai turned and headed back inside.
Before the car started moving, Guan Zhiyi rolled down the window, leaned against the frame, and looked mournfully at Qi Chengyan, who had not yet left.
Guan Zhiyi said, "I'm off then."
Qi Chengyan walked up to the car window. "Call me when you arrive."
Guan Zhiyi stared at his face, the reluctance in her heart swelling more and more. Once she left this time, it would be another month before they could see each other again.
"Mm..."
The girl's emotions were far too obvious, her expression completely undisguised. Looking at her like this, Qi Chengyan felt an overwhelming wave of affection and heartache. "No more filming after this one wraps up, all right?"
Sitting inside the car and hearing every word, Liu Yun shuddered. What? What did he mean no more filming?!
Guan Zhiyi reached out and poked Qi Chengyan's waist. "What do you mean no more filming? Stop talking nonsense..."
A rejection fast enough to break records.
Qi Chengyan rubbed her head and let out a gentle sigh.
He truly didn't want her to be exhausted for months on end every time she joined a crew, but he also knew this was what she loved doing. He couldn't—and shouldn't—interfere.
Saying she wouldn't film anymore was merely his way of comforting himself.
Qi Chengyan said, "Then take a break for a while, choose your next script carefully."
These words were directed as much to Liu Yun as they were to Guan Zhiyi. A sharp person, Liu Yun picked up on it instantly and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, that's my plan as well."
Taking a break and not filming for a while was fine. As long as she wasn't quitting altogether! This girl was currently her lifeblood!
Guan Zhiyi said, "I got it. Head back inside then, I'm really leaving."
Qi Chengyan took a step back and signaled for them to drive off.
"Let's go," Liu Yun said.
Mao Mao started the engine.
As the car pulled away, the figure behind them slowly disappeared. Once Qi Chengyan was completely out of sight, Guan Zhiyi finally sat back in her seat, feeling melancholy.
Liu Yun had been informed shortly after they got together. Seeing Guan Zhiyi looking so listless now, she comforted her, "It'll go by fast. A month passes in the blink of an eye."
"You don't need to comfort me, I'm not a child."
Liu Yun chuckled. "Aren't people in love just like children? Ready to faint if they can't see each other for a second, let alone being apart for this long."
Guan Zhiyi looked out the window and murmured, "...Just treat it like a long-distance relationship."
Back on set, a new round of filming began.
Guan Zhiyi held herself to very high standards when it came to acting. While filming, she would focus entirely on her character. It was only occasionally on her way back to the hotel after shooting wrapped that a sudden, overwhelming wave of longing for him would hit her out of nowhere...
She wondered what he was doing right now, whether he was busy with work, and whether he was missing her too.
In the past, when she acted in romantic scenes, she could perform them well on the surface, but inside, she had never truly understood that kind of ache.
Now that she was with Qi Chengyan, she finally understood it completely.
As it turned out, missing someone was truly a matter both sweet and sad.
Finally, the month dragged to an end.
After wrapping up, Guan Zhiyi made her return journey low-key.
Since news of the wrap-up hadn't been made public, neither her father nor her brother knew she was coming back.
Once Guan Zhiyi stepped off the plane and got into the company van, Qi Chengyan sent her a message: [Something came up at the company today, I'll be back a bit late. I'll head over to your place to find you then.]
Looking at his message, Guan Zhiyi thought for a moment before replying: [I don't want to go home.]
Qi Chengyan: [What's wrong?]
Guan Zhiyi: [If I go home, I'll be under their watch. I want to see you first...]
She wasn't sure what Qi Chengyan thought when he saw that message, but after sending it, Guan Zhiyi felt extremely cheesy. Cheesy as it was, that was truly what she was thinking.
After a month of missing him, she desperately wanted to see him, and only wanted to be alone with him.
When Qi Chengyan received Guan Zhiyi's message, he was on his way to a meeting. Seeing her say she wanted to see him first, his heart turned impossibly soft. Walking as he prepared to type a reply, before he could send a word, a new message popped up in their chat box.
[Chengyan-gege, I miss you.]
Qi Chengyan's footsteps halted. He froze.
"President Qi?" The assistant beside him, holding a stack of documents, looked at him in confusion when he stopped.
Staring at those few words, Qi Chengyan took a long moment to compose himself before saying, "You go ahead."
The assistant was bewildered, but dutifully headed toward the conference room first.
Standing in the hallway, Qi Chengyan dialed her number directly.
Seeing the incoming call, Guan Zhiyi was embarrassed to death. Typing cheesy words was one thing, but saying them out loud was entirely too embarrassing. Red-faced, she answered, "What is it..."
"Tell Liu Yun to drive to Xinghe Bay," Qi Chengyan said straightforwardly.
Xinghe Bay was one of his properties. She had stayed there once before when she injured her leg during a shoot, so she knew the place well.
Telling her to go there meant satisfying her wish to meet alone first.
The corners of Guan Zhiyi's lips turned up slightly. "Oh... okay."
"Xiao Wu, I'll be back as early as I can."
"Mm."
"Wait for me."
Qi Chengyan was naturally a composed man who had always kept things under control growing up. At his age, eagerness was an emotion that rarely surfaced in him.
Yet today, he was exceptionally eager—so much so that his mind even wandered during the meeting.
The department managers were all sharp individuals. Naturally, they could quickly sense something off about their superior, but none of them would ever connect Qi Chengyan's distraction to romance.
In their eyes, given his style of handling things, he was simply not the type of man to be led around by "personal feelings."
As a result, they could only wonder if something had gone wrong with the company, or if he was dissatisfied with someone's project...
Throughout the entire meeting, everyone was on edge, terrified that the silent boss would pick them out to scold in the next second.
Unexpectedly, from start to finish, Qi Chengyan didn't utter a single harsh word. As soon as the meeting ended, he quickly stood up and left.
The crowd of managers let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Why didn't President Qi say anything today?"
"Scared me to death. Seeing him so quiet, I thought it was the calm before the storm."
"Same here. I thought we were about to get chewed out."
"Wait... if nothing's wrong, why was President Qi acting like that?"
"Who knows? Leaving in such a rush, he must have something urgent to handle."
"Hahaha, maybe he's off to see his girlfriend."
"Nonsense. Have you ever seen a woman around him all this time?"
"I know, I was just making a joke—"
...
After leaving the company, Qi Chengyan drove straight to Xinghe Bay. He stayed here often; after all, if Guan Zhiyi wasn't at Yuhe Mansion, going back there meant facing nothing besides his grandfather's nagging.
Driving into the garage, he went straight upstairs.
By his calculation, she should have been waiting for him here for two hours. He wondered if she was bored being here alone.
With that thought in mind, Qi Chengyan walked into the living room, but saw no sign of her.
"Xiao Wu."
No answer.
Thinking she might be tired from the flight and sleeping in the bedroom, Qi Chengyan turned around to head upstairs.
"Chengyan-gege, you're back."
Qi Chengyan paused and turned around, only to see Guan Zhiyi walking out from the direction of the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a ladle in one hand.
"How are you..."
"I made soup. It smells amazing, come try some."
Qi Chengyan was stunned. "Where are the helpers?"
Guan Zhiyi said, "I told them to go home. I'm cooking today."
The sliding door to the kitchen had been opened when she came out, allowing the rich, delicious aroma to drift over to Qi Chengyan.
He walked over to Guan Zhiyi and smoothed back a stray lock of hair near her face. "You just got off the plane, why aren't you resting? Why cook yourself?"
"I don't feel tired. I had nothing to do after getting here, so I thought I'd cook dinner and wait for you." Guan Zhiyi enthusiastically pulled him inward. "It's been a while since I cooked, but my skills are still great. Come try it."
Entering the kitchen, Guan Zhiyi scooped up a small spoon of soup and offered it to him.
Qi Chengyan looked at her, bent down, and took a sip.
"Is it good?"
"Mm."
Guan Zhiyi said, "Now that I think about it, you've never eaten anything I cooked before."
"That's right. Who would have guessed that after growing up, you'd actually learn to cook?"
Guan Zhiyi smiled proudly. "If you think it's good, I'll cook for you whenever I have free time."
Qi Chengyan tapped her nose gently with his knuckle. "Are you trying to get your brother to chew me out?"
"Ah?"
"Your hands weren't meant to be spent in the kitchen whenever you're free."
Guan Zhiyi blinked. "Then—"
Qi Chengyan pulled her arms around his waist. "If you have free time in the future, why don't you use it to hold me instead?"
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