CHAPTER 179: DO YOU REALLY DISLIKE HIM?

After sending Song Chengfeng off, Qi Jianyi stepped back inside the house, where Grandpa He and Grandma He were waiting. The old man was lounging on the couch in the living room, enjoying the quiet morning with his wife by his side.

His eyes narrowed in satisfaction the moment he realized Song Chengfeng was gone.

Finally, that brat had been chased away.

Catching sight of the smug look on Grandpa He’s face, Qi Jianyi decided against going upstairs. Instead, she walked over and sat down across from him.

"Grandpa, Grandma," she greeted with a soft smile.

Grandma He’s expression lit up as she returned the smile. "Has Song Chengfeng gone to work?" she asked.

Qi Jianyi nodded. "Mm, he has a meeting this morning, and we’ll have lunch together later."

"That kid is good and reliable," Grandma He said warmly.

"He has worked hard to build his career from scratch. Now you can spend more time with him." She didn’t go into detail, but everyone knew what she was implying.

Beside her, Grandpa He let out a sharp snort.

"What’s so great about that shameless brat? He doesn’t even have basic manners!" he complained, his voice edged with frustration. Just remembering Song Chengfeng’s cheeky attitude was enough to make him bristle.

Grandma He didn’t even glance his way. She had long since learned to ignore his grumbling and treated it like background noise. After so many years, she was more than used to his childish ways.

However, Qi Jianyi did not take his scolding lightly. The smile that had been resting on her lips slowly faded, replaced by a calm, unreadable expression as she looked at the old man.

"Grandpa, do you really hate him?" she asked, her tone steady and smooth like the still waters of a quiet sea. Yet, for those who listened closely, there was a faint chill hidden beneath her voice.

Perhaps she was being a little too sensitive. She could not tell for certain if Grandpa He truly disliked Song Chengfeng or if he was merely teasing. Still, she could hardly be blamed.

After all, she had returned after seven long years, and it was impossible to pretend that nothing had changed. It was only natural for things to feel awkward, especially when everyone now knew her true identity.

Her simple question caught the elderly couple off guard. They exchanged a glance, neither speaking for a moment. But before Grandpa He could find his words, Qi Jianyi spoke again.

"I like him, Grandpa." Her gaze lowered, a faint glimmer of nostalgia flashing through her eyes.

"I want to be with him for as long as I can. For the past seven years, he has waited for me—without complaint, without resentment. I hurt him, gave him hope, and then shattered it without even giving him a chance to hear my apology." Her voice softened, tinged with pain, as her mind returned to those memories. She could almost see again the hurt in Song Chengfeng’s eyes, the quiet suffering he had endured when she had left so suddenly.

It had been so sudden. One moment they were laughing together, trading gentle teasing, and the next she was gone. Disappeared as if into thin air. In her place remained only another woman—one who looked exactly like her, but was not her.

"For years, he could have moved on, found someone else to love. But he didn’t. He chose to wait. When there was no one left who remembered me, he was the only one who did. He knew me—not the young miss of the Qi family, but Qi Jianyi, an unfamiliar soul that had somehow awakened in this world." She looked at them again, her expression impossible to read.

"I was someone no one would believe in. But Song Chengfeng believed me. He helped me search for a way back to my own world. He sacrificed more than I can count for my happiness, and I wronged him for years. Now, all I want is to make him happy." Her voice carried quiet resolve, and though she did not say it outright, she hoped that if Miss Qi’s family had accepted her, they would accept him as well.

Grandpa He’s brows drew together, his voice stern when he finally spoke. Instead of comforting his granddaughter, he rebuked her.

"You’re a girl. Why should you be the one to cater to him and spoil him?" His tone was sharp, his disapproval plain.

In his eyes, the man should be the one taking responsibility, protecting the woman, and fighting for their love—not the other way around. While his thinking was not without merit, it was far from absolute.

Qi Jianyi shook her head firmly, disagreeing without hesitation.

"Why can’t I spoil him when all he’s ever asked is for me to stay by his side?" she asked calmly.

"In my life, I’ve had to sacrifice and give up so many things. Too many to even count. I never had the privilege Miss Qi did. I worked hard for my family, and because of that, there were so many things I could not allow myself to have. Not because they were impossible, but because they would interfere with my goals."

"Do I regret it? No. I have never once regretted giving up my youth for the sake of my family. They were worth every bit of my effort. And just as I was willing to set aside everything else to change my family’s fate, I am now willing to give up all that I have worked for, just to be by his side." Her eyes were steady, her voice unwavering.

It had taken her seven years to truly understand what she wanted. But to Qi Jianyi, as long as there was still time, it was never too late.

Her family now lived in comfort, free from the shadow of financial hardship. Nothing held her back anymore. Besides, Miss Qi was there to care for them in her stead.

All Qi Jianyi wanted now was to settle down with Song Chengfeng and live quietly. She wanted to explore this world slowly, without the rush of constant responsibility or the anxiety of an uncertain future.

She wanted to rest. And though no one had forced her into the struggles she had faced, exhaustion had long since taken root in her bones.

How could she have turned away when her family had fallen into poverty?

Sometimes, the choices we make are not ones others can understand.

"Grandpa, Grandma." She called out softly, her voice carrying a faint tremor as she looked at the old couple with eyes clouded in sadness.

"I cannot give up on him, and I do not want to either. But I am greedy. I want both him and you. Because of that, I refuse to see the day where I must choose between you and him. That is why I hope you can accept him, just as you accepted me." Her words held a quiet plea, and though her tone was calm, there was an unmistakable trace of insecurity woven within.

She truly was greedy. She longed for the warmth of her family’s affection and for the love of Song Chengfeng. Even if such a wish was impossible, Qi Jianyi would still try to hold on to both.

Grandpa He’s brows furrowed deeply, and he blurted without thinking, "How could you compare yourself to that brat? He is an outsider!"

Qi Jianyi’s gaze stilled for a heartbeat before she spoke again, her voice quiet but steady.

"Grandpa He, I am an outsider." Her eyes dimmed as she slowly turned her face away from them.

"If we are to speak of outsiders, then I am the one who should be mentioned. I took over your granddaughter’s body and shamelessly lived her life. My existence in this world is borrowed, granted only through her. If you cannot even accept Song Chengfeng, someone who belongs to this world, then how could you ever truly accept me? I am a complete stranger." Her words were sincere, each one carrying the weight of truth.

Once again, her question left both Grandpa He and Grandma He at a loss for words. Grandpa He tried to deny her reasoning. "Jianyi, you know that is not what I meant..."

But the emptiness in her eyes silenced him before he could continue. Grandma He shot her husband a glare, regret welling in her heart for not stopping his childish remarks earlier.

Across from them, Qi Jianyi lowered her head, hiding the emotions that threatened to spill from her eyes. When she lifted her gaze again, it was with a smile that did not quite reach her heart. Rising to her feet, she turned to leave, but after a few steps, she paused.

"Grandpa, this world is not so different from my own. Everything is the same, yet somehow different all at once. To me, it feels unfamiliar, and at times even uncomfortable. In this world, the only person I am truly familiar with is Song Chengfeng. He did not exist in my world, but in that world, I was the only one who knew of his existence. And in the same way, though Qi Jianyi exists here, only he knows me. The real outsider."

"I do not even have you in my world." Her eyes lingered on the old couple, filled with a deep, unspoken longing that had been buried in her heart for many years. She chose not to explain further and resumed her steps.

She had said all that needed to be said. The rest would be theirs to decide.