Control.
These two words made Xu Tingyu's hand holding the chopsticks tremble slightly.
Afraid that she might not be able to manage her expressions well, she didn't even lift her head, acting as if she hadn't heard the words.
Qi Ye's expression remained unchanged as he countered Qi Shifeng, "Why would you think so?"
Qi Shifeng didn't mince his words either. "Since we sat down, what she eats and what she does all depend on your expression. Isn't this control?"
Qi Ye's expression turned serious.
"Of course this isn't control. Shifeng, every couple has their own way of getting along. I understand if you don't agree."
"However, you can't talk about me like this. Although Tingyu wouldn't think so either, if others hear it, God knows what rumors they'll spread."
"Think before you speak. Have you forgotten? This is also the family motto of our Qi family."
The family motto?
Qi Shifeng found it rather ridiculous. "Does the family motto tell you to control others? What is this if not control? We're all adults. Don't play dumb."
Qi Ye was a bit irritated, and his usually gentle face darkened.
But just as he was about to strike back, Xu Tingyu suddenly spoke up, interrupting the two of them.
"Stop arguing. There are others here besides you two."
After scolding them, she smiled at Du Jiran and said, "You order. We'll share. Don't mind them."
Du Jiran snapped out of her daze, cast a worried glance at Qi Shifeng, then looked at Xu Tingyu. "Okay."
Qi Shifeng glared at Xu Tingyu, feeling rather frustrated with her.
He didn't touch his chopsticks again, but he didn't leave either. He just sat there, looking coldly at everyone.
Xu Tingyu stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye and thought he was childish.
What was he doing? Isolating everyone?
Was there any difference from his childish, two - faced act outside just now?
This unpredictable bastard.
She withdrew her gaze and continued eating.
Qi Ye wasn't affected either. He even felt that she was "protecting" him and was a bit happy.
He didn't eat much, so he carefully served Xu Tingyu dishes.
Seeing that she had finished the crab meat, he started peeling shrimp for her.
Qi Shifeng's gaze fell on her without any attempt to hide it. He ignored even Du Jiran's conversation with her.
For some reason, Xu Tingyu recalled what he had said before, that Du Jiran being his girlfriend wasn't what she thought.
What was the relationship between these two?
And what was Du Jiran's identity?
She frowned but didn't dwell on it further. Instead, she focused on eating.
When the ice cream was served, Du Jiran scooped a ball for Xu Tingyu and said, "What are your plans for tomorrow?"
This was a way to brush off the unpleasantness just now.
Xu Tingyu took the ice cream but didn't eat it right away. Instead, she put it aside.
"We're going fishing by boat tomorrow."
She didn't invite them either, because she guessed that Du Jiran probably wouldn't want to go with them.
Who would have thought that as soon as Du Jiran heard this, she immediately asked, "Can we go with you? I've been worrying about not having a good plan for tomorrow."
But since it wasn't Xu Tingyu who was paying, she didn't answer. Instead, she just looked at Qi Ye.
In Qi Shifeng's eyes, this was another piece of evidence that she was being controlled.
Qi Ye nodded with a smile. "Sure. If you want to go, you're welcome to join us."
Du Jiran nodded repeatedly. "Okay. Thank you, big brother."
Qi Ye shook his head. "We'll be family in the future. Don't be so polite."
During the second half of the meal, Xu Tingyu and Du Jiran chatted from time to time, mostly about things that girls liked.
Qi Ye sometimes chimed in, but for the most part, he just listened to them.
Only Qi Shifeng seemed like an outsider throughout the whole process.
He didn't respond and didn't participate.
When the meal was over and they were leaving the restaurant, Qi Ye politely asked if they wanted to go back together.
Actually, it was obvious to everyone that this was just a polite question. They must have driven here.
Who would have thought that Qi Shifeng, who had been an outsider all night, suddenly seemed to find his voice and immediately agreed. "Sure."
Du Jiran was a bit stunned. "What about our car?"
They had come here with Qi Shifeng driving.
Could it be that she had to drive back by herself now?
"It's okay. Let big brother's driver drive the car back. As for us, big brother didn't drink, so he can be the driver."
He said that Qi Ye didn't drink, but he forgot that he himself hadn't drunk either.
Seeing his younger brother acting like a spoilt child, Qi Ye showed great tolerance.
"No problem."
Since Qi Ye was driving, Xu Tingyu naturally had to sit in the front passenger seat. But just as she was about to get in the car, Qi Shifeng suddenly blocked her way.
"You sit in the back. Don't you still have things to talk to Ranran about?"
Hearing the name "Ranran", Xu Tingyu's hand on the door handle tightened involuntarily, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded.
"Sure."
She completely ignored his provocation.
Whether it was his two - faced act or his cold words.
It didn't matter if he was acting like a pestering child now.
After she calmly got into the back seat, Qi Ye, who had seen everything, made a gesture of invitation to him.
"Don't worry. Although I haven't driven for a long time, my beloved is sitting in this car. I'll definitely be extra careful. You don't have to look like that."
He was joking.
He was really in high spirits tonight.
He even felt a sense of exhilaration he had never felt before.
For so many years, this was what he had been chasing after.
Xu Tingyu was on his side, his woman, and treated Qi Shifeng like a stranger.
This was what he had been dreaming of.
Now that it had all come true, how could he not be happy?
Qi Shifeng ignored him and got into the car directly. When he closed the car door, it made a loud "bang".
Qi Ye laughed even more happily.
Only a person who was angry and frustrated would show their emotions so obviously.
Qi Shifeng knew he was going to lose, but he was helpless, so he was acting so out of character.
But it didn't matter.
He would keep it up and keep winning until he achieved the final victory.
Everything tonight had given him supreme confidence, making him feel that he could keep winning.
He got into the driver's seat, started the ignition, stepped on the accelerator, and even turned on the radio and played a song.
It was a piece of pure music, very gentle.
The two men in the front didn't say a word, while the two women in the back continued chatting.
Du Jiran looked at Xu Tingyu's flat belly and was quite envious.
"I'm so envious, Tingyu. You're three months pregnant, but it's completely invisible."
Xu Tingyu smiled. "It's normal not to show at three months."
As she said this, she reached out and touched her belly.
Qi Ye suddenly asked, "Ranran, Shifeng, when are you two planning to have a child?"
This time, Qi Shifeng was still full of hostility. "I have a child, big brother. Have you forgotten?"
This "big brother" was uttered in a sinister tone.
And Xu Tingyu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.