Fated Marriage Chapter 8.1

Chapter Eight (Part 1)

Qin Song’s left hand was officially… broken.

Zhang Yu drew a chicken on Qin Song’s cast. For the eightieth time she tried to pry her son’s tight lips. ‘Song Song, what magic trick did you want to show Ting Ting that made you break your left arm?’

Qin Song laid on the sofa, his right arm draped over his face and pretended he died.

Qin Yun pulled his wife. ‘Zhang Yu… stop asking him.’

‘I want Song Song to show me a magic trick too,’ Zhang Yu sulked.

Qin Yun sighed helplessly. ‘Do you want our son to break his right arm too?’

Zhang Yu shook her head, let go of Qin Song and stopped asking about his first and last failed attempt performing a magic trick.

Han Ting Ting farewelled the electrician and returned to the room. ‘The electrician finished fixing the fuse box.’

‘Fixed that quick?’ Zhang Yu said heartlessly.

Qin Song’s left arm was broken but both of his unbroken ears heard Zhang Yu’s unintentional jab. He got up from the sofa and put on his slippers.

‘Song Song, where are you going?’ Zhang Yu asked.

‘To the bathroom,’ Qin Song said.

‘One arm isn’t convenient,’ Zhang Yu said. ‘Ting Ting, go help your husband.’

Han Ting Ting was drinking apple juice and almost choked on it after she was requested to go to the bathroom with Qin Song.

‘Qin Song,’ Han Ting Ting called from outside the bathroom door. ‘Are you done?’

‘Why?’ Qin Song asked.

‘Mum asked me to ask you if you need my help,’ Han Ting Ting said and her hands covered her hot face.

Han Ting Ting didn’t hear any sounds from the bathroom. A moment later the door was opened… her radiant rescuer stood in front of her with one hand pulling his pants… her poor face was boiled red but couldn’t look away.

Qin Song scrunched his face. He wanted to pull his ‘little country bun’ into the bathroom. But his left arm was supported by a sling in front of his chest and his right hand was busy keeping his pants up.

‘Come in,’ Qin Song said.

A dazed Han Ting Ting quietly followed Qin Song into the bathroom. The bathroom was not small but having two people inside at the same time cramped the bathroom.

Qin Song pointed at his pants. ‘b.u.t.ton my pants for me.’

Qin Song was never going to buy pants with b.u.t.tons again. He spent a long time trying to b.u.t.ton his pants with one hand but the b.u.t.ton refused to go through the b.u.t.ton hole.

Han Ting Ting immediately bent over to b.u.t.ton Qin Song’s pants. Her eyes were at eye level with his pants and she suddenly remembered the day he threw her phone out the window and her text conversation with Tu Tu – ‘How’s the size of his package?’ ‘One… big package!’

Han Ting Ting’s face felt completely melted and she was scared she’d need to have a face implant to replace it.

Qin Song’s male pride was injured from his failed magic performance. He searched around the sofa and didn’t find the gift he prepared for Han Ting Ting. It must have been flung off the string. To top off his failure, he couldn’t fix the fuse box and ended up with a broken arm. Why did he always show the most embarra.s.sing side of himself in front of her? But her shyness trying to carefully b.u.t.ton his pants returned his manliness. He watched her struggle to b.u.t.ton his pants for a while. She kept unzipping then zipping his zipper to bring the b.u.t.ton and the b.u.t.ton hole closer together. It made him realised along with the return of his manliness, his attraction toward her was fully evident between her tensed hands.

‘Pull… pull… pull… I can’t pull it up,’ Han Ting Ting stuttered.

Han Ting Ting’s radiant rescuer bent his head down and bit her red lips. She was stunned and before she could react she was already pressed to his chest. His lips seized her lips, his tongue was inside her mouth and in a frenzy wrestled with her tongue.

Qin Song heard weak moans escaped from Ting Ting’s throat then her body was limp on his chest and his whole body was lit on fire. He tightened his hold around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest. Everywhere his fingers touched was soft. The mouth he swallowed trembled then the rest of her body trembled. He pulled her closer to him until it was hard to breathe. Even if he deprived both of them air, he didn’t want to let her go.

Ting Ting felt there was no air going into her body. Qin Song’s hold on her increasingly became tighter. When she felt she was going to be unconscious, he loosened his arm around her waist. She leaned into his chest and he rested his forehead onto her forehead. They were both breathing heavily. She was able to rest for no longer than five seconds before his body pressed against her body.

Qin Song felt Ting Ting’s body was burning hot. He kissed her and his fingers wandered inside her s.h.i.+rt. He caressed her waist and slowly moved upward. Under his fingers was soft skin and loveable goose b.u.mps rose wherever his fingers lingered for too long. In his crazy haze he realised he lost control of his senses. His tongue mingled with her tongue. He gave into his urge and bit her tongue. She cried out in pain. Her sweaty forehead pulled away from his own sweaty forehead and she pushed him back. He lifted his arm to pull her back but she opened the door and fled from the bathroom.

Zhang Yu heard a m.u.f.fled cry from the bathroom. A moment later Zhang Yu saw her darling daughter-in-law running outside like there was a beast chasing her from behind.

‘What happened?’ Zhang Yu asked.

‘A a o a o…’ Han Ting Ting muttered.

Han Ting Ting wanted to say nothing was wrong. But her bitten tongue was too sore.

Zhang Yu probed her daughter-in-law. Zhang Yu saw a sweaty flushed face and swollen lips. Zhang Yu was once a newlywed and understood what happened… Zhang Yu was going to look through the nursery catalogue online to prepare for the birth of her first grandchild.

Qin Song walked around the bathroom to cool down. After it was safe to pull his zipper up without causing another embarra.s.sing injury, he managed to b.u.t.ton up his pants. Then he went outside to find his escaped wife.

Han Ting Ting gulped down the rest of her gla.s.s of apple juice. She saw Qin Song came outside of the bathroom and immediately looked away.

Qin Song sat down on the sofa next to Han Ting Ting. She secretly glanced at him and turned away when she saw his sly smile. Her cooled body suddenly became hot again.

Qin Song felt Ting Ting’s shoulder turned hot and deliberately turned to one of his parents’ a.s.sistants. ‘I want a gla.s.s of apple juice.’

‘Oh? Song Song, when did you start drinking apple juice?’ Zhang Yu asked.

Qin Song stared at his ‘little country bun’ who was avoiding eye contact with him. He licked his lips. He could still taste Ting Ting’s sweetness mixed with apple juice. ‘Just now.’

Qin Song couldn’t drive whilst his arm was broken. A driver drove him to work and back home. Ting Ting didn’t want to trouble the driver and walked twenty minutes to her preschool and back home. He couldn’t stand the sight of her walking to work and back home.

On a beautiful day Qin Song returned home with a loveable coral pink electric bike. Ting Ting happily jumped onto her new bike and rode it around the living room. He came out of the kitchen with a gla.s.s of apple juice, didn’t pay attention and b.u.mped into both the bike and the bike’s owner.

Han Ting Ting got off the bike and wiped the apple juice off Qin Song’s face. ‘Song Song, I’m sorry.’

‘Your bike riding skills are poor too. I’ll worry about you all day if I let you drive the bike. I want you to practice driving a car with me,’ Qin Song said.

Han Ting Ting smiled sweetly at Qin Song. ‘I’ll be careful.’

Qin Song opened his dry eyes and saw Ting Ting lifted her left hand up.

‘I promise!’ Han Ting Ting said.

Qin Song thought ‘little country bun’s’ serious expression was too adorable. He laughed and pinched her cheek. Ting Ting being sulky with him put him in a good mood.

Unfortunately, Qin Song’s good mood was soured. Ting Ting’s promise was not reliable!

On a rare Friday afternoon Qin Song finish work early and went to Ting Ting’s preschool and waited to go home with her. The electric bike was wide but too short. He sat behind her and didn’t have enough leg room. He wrapped his legs around her legs and wrapped his right arm around her waist. He rested his body against her soft back.

‘Song Song! We’re on a public road,’ Han Ting Ting protested.

‘What?’ Qin Song asked innocently.

‘Remove your wandering hand or someone will see us,’ Han Ting Ting said.

Qin Song rubbed his face against her soft back, smiled and let his hand wander freely under her s.h.i.+rt. ‘I’m not going to. What are you going to do to stop me?’

‘I’ll push you off the bike,’ Han Ting Ting said.

‘You wouldn’t dare,’ Qin Song said.

Suddenly the electric bike’s emergency brake was triggered. Both Qin Song and Ting Ting jerked forward. He held her waist and pulled them up. But the bike’s back wheel jammed his foot.

‘Han Ting Ting! Do you want to be a widow?’

Han Ting Ting was speechless and too shocked to move.

Qin Song was surprised his ‘little country bun’ didn’t move. Ting Ting kept staring at the Mercedes 350 parked in front of their house. A tall and broad man leaned against the front of the car. The man wore a grey s.h.i.+rt and black gloves. The man lifted a lighter in a fluid motion, lit a cigarette and closed the lighter. The man inhaled and puffed out a ring of smoke. The manly aura around the man was impossible to deny. Finally the man spotted them, laughed comfortably and strode toward them. A breeze pa.s.sed by and the man’s jacket fluttered. Qin Song was startled because it was the life version of ‘the wind blowing and jacket fluttering’ image Ting Ting described to him long ago.

Qin Song’s good mood was soured by the appearance of his wife’s ‘that person.’

Chen Yi Feng stood in front of them and Han Ting Ting’s whole body tensed. Chen Yi Feng didn’t approach Han Ting Ting first. Chen Yi Feng punched the man standing behind Han Ting Ting and laughed. ‘Little Qin Song, long time no see.’

Qin Song received Chen Yi Feng’s solid punch. On the inside Qin Song was deeply disturbed but remained calm on the outside despite the bleeding cut on his lip. He laughed coldly. ‘Long time no see, Mr Chen!’

Chen Yi Feng laughed comfortably. After he greeted Qin Song, he turned to Han Ting Ting who was held tightly by Qin Song. He rubbed her head and the tone of his voice was gentle. ‘Ting Bao!’

Ting Ting lowered her head. ‘Um.’ Her voice trembled in a way Qin Song never heard before.

Chen Yi Feng pinched Han Ting Ting’s nose. ‘I dragged my old body thousands of miles to see you and you blow me off.’

‘I didn’t,’ Han Ting Ting said.

Han Ting Ting lifted her head and saw Chen Yi Feng’s familiar smile that stabbed through her heart. Her eyes stung and she was on the verge of tears.

‘Long time no see, it’s clearly him!’ Han Ting Ting’s stabbed heart said.

‘Honey, invite the guest into our home,’ Qin Song said.

Qin Song pulled Ting Ting into his chest and she nodded.

‘No need. I want to talk with Ting Ting for a while then I’ll leave. Tomorrow I’ll discuss business with you at Qin’s company,’ Chen Yi Feng said.

Han Ting Ting didn’t know what business connection Song Song and Chen Yi Feng have, but Chen Yi Feng rejecting Song Song’s hospitality wasn’t good. Her first thought was that it made Song Song unhappy.

‘Since you’re here already, you might as well come inside,’ Han Ting Ting said.

Chen Yi Feng heard Han Ting Ting’s invite and nodded. ‘Ok.’

‘Make yourself at home,’ Qin Song said. He hugged Ting Ting. ‘Honey, should we go out to dinner tonight?’

Chen Yi Feng didn’t wait for Han Ting Ting’s answer. He shook his head. ‘Don’t trouble yourselves. Tonight I have dinner plans.’

‘I understand,’ Qin Song said. He rubbed Ting Ting’s arm. ‘But before you go at least share a small meal with us. Ting Ting told me a lot about the two of you being close neighbourhood friends.’

Chen Yi Feng pretended he couldn’t see Qin Song provoking him. He smiled at Han Ting Ting. ‘I often trouble Ting Ting to look after Dong Dong.’

‘No trouble,’ Qin Song said. ‘My wife loves children. Honey…’

Song Song in front of Chen Yi Feng threw ‘my wife’ and ‘honey’ in every sentence. Han Ting Ting wasn’t blind. She knew Song Song did it on purpose to provoke Chen Yi Feng. The more she heard it the more it got on her nerves. ‘Song Song, go upstairs and change.’

‘Um. I’ll head upstairs. You two go ahead and talk,’ Qin Song said and gritted his teeth.

Chen Yi Feng took off his jacket and Han Ting Ting reflexively grabbed his jacket and draped it over the sofa. Then he sat down on the sofa.

‘It’s a lovely home,’ Chen Yi Feng praised.

Chen Yi Feng felt the combined effect of Qin Song’s sense of style and Han Ting Ting’s homeliness aura made the house seem lively and warm.

‘Do you want a cup of coffee? I don’t have the tea brand that you like to drink,’ Han Ting Ting said.

‘I’m not thirsty. Come sit. I have a lot of questions!’ Chen Yi Feng said.

Han Ting Ting sat at a distance to Chen Yi Feng on the sofa.

‘Ting Ting, tell me the truth. Is it because you’re happily married that you don’t think it’s appropriate to contact me? Or is it because Qin Song hasn’t been treating you well and you don’t want me to know about your bad marriage so I won’t worry about you?’ Chen Yi Feng asked.

‘None of those reasons,’ Han Ting Ting said.

‘Then why do you only take calls from Dong Dong’s school but don’t bother picking up my calls?’ Chen Yi Feng asked.

It was nearly winter but Han Ting Ting’s back was sweating. ‘I… recently a lot of things have happened. I’ve been busy… I haven’t had free time.’

‘Because of what’s happening with the Qin’s household?’ Chen Yi Feng asked.

‘That’s part of the reason,’ Han Ting Ting said.

‘Not another reason, like you don’t want to talk to me?’ Chen Yi Feng asked teasingly.

Han Ting Ting betrayed her conscience and nodded.

‘That’s good!’ Chen Yi Feng said and leaned back on the sofa.

A moment later Chen Yi Feng stood up and took out a colourful envelope. He gave the letter to Han Ting Ting. ‘Dong Dong gave me an order. She said when I see you I have to hand deliver it to you.’

Han Ting Ting accepted the colourful envelope.

Chen Yi Feng sat back down and reached out to rub Han Ting Ting’s head. ‘Recently there’ve been a lot of things going on with the Qin household. It’s messy business, I came here because of that reason. You need to be careful during this unstable period. Don’t get involved in their power struggle and inheritance ent.i.tlements, it’s too dangerous.’

Han Ting Ting didn’t bother to disagree with Chen Yi Feng. She was married to Song Song, of course she was involved. Song Song had always protected her, he’d never put her life in danger.

‘Ok, my business here is done. Qin Song is a good person. But if he ever does anything to hurt you, tell me straight away. Even if the distance between us is far, I have many ways to make him pay for hurting you,’ Chen Yi Feng said and smiled gently.

Han Ting Ting felt the more they talked the more her heart felt calm. As if Chen Yi Feng was nothing more than an old friend from her past. Finally she was able to smile back at him.

Qin Song never changed clothes as fast as he did upstairs. He strode to sofa to separate Ting Ting and Chen Yi Feng. He sat between them and pulled Ting Ting close to him. ‘Ahem.’

‘Song Song, your collar’s all crooked,’ Han Ting Ting gently scolded.

Ting Ting gently lifted Qin Song’s chin and fixed his collar. He happily let her fuss over him. He glanced over at Chen Yi Feng and saw Chen Yi Feng awkwardly admiring the furnis.h.i.+ngs in the living room.

‘Go find yourself another step-mum for your daughter. Ting Ting’s my wife,’ Qin Song’s heart telepathically said to the manly Chen Yi Feng.

Chen Yi Feng didn’t stay long before he excused himself. Han Ting Ting and Qin Song escorted him to the front door. When he was changing his shoes he noticed Putt Putt on top of the shoe rack.

Yesterday Xiao Tao came over to play. Xiao Tao liked to play with Putt Putt and must have forgotten to put Putt Putt back in her room. Han Ting Ting panicked. She hoped Chen Yi Feng didn’t notice Putt Putt. Song Song already disliked Putt Putt. If Song Song found out Chen Yi Feng was the one who gave her Putt Putt, Song Song would be angry and use it as an excuse to get rid of Putt Putt.

‘Putt Putt is old and worn out. Why haven’t you thrown Putt Putt away?’ Chen Yi Feng said and deliberately smiled smugly at Qin Song.

Han Ting Ting glanced over at Song Song and saw his good mood was gone and felt worried. Chen Yi Feng chose that moment to farewell them.

After Chen Yi Feng left, Song Song locked himself in his room upstairs. Han Ting Ting called him to eat dinner but he stayed inside his room.

End of Chapter 8 (Part 1)