The Young Miss Refuse To Love
Chapter 173: Reunited

Chapter 173: Reunited

The moment Qi Jianyi uttered his name, it was as if something inside Song Chengfeng snapped. A jolt surged through him—sharp, electric—sending adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Without thinking, his legs moved on their own. He took a step, then another, striding purposefully toward her. The garden, the guests, the hushed murmurs—all faded into the background.

In that moment, there was only her. But just as the space between them began to close, Song Chengfeng suddenly stopped. His feet rooted to the ground, his entire body tense.

He stared at her, eyes searching her face as if needing final confirmation that this was truly happening—that it was really her.

There was hesitation and fear in his eyes—hesitation to believe what his heart was telling him, and fear that it might be wrong.

Qi Jianyi could see it clearly. The way his gaze flickered, as if torn between hope and disbelief. She understood his turmoil. If their places were reversed, she, too, would be filled with doubt.

How could she fault him for not daring to hope? She took a step closer, slowly bridging the distance between them. Her voice trembled with raw emotion, soft yet powerful, filled with years of buried longing.

"Song Chengfeng," she called again, her voice barely above a whisper but heavy with all the feelings she’d held back.

Her eyes shimmered, tears welling at the corners. This time, she didn’t look away, didn’t hide her heart. She wanted him to see everything—her sorrow, her longing, her love.

She missed him.

More than anything, more than words could ever say.

For seven years, she had lived with regret. Regret for leaving, regret for hurting him, and regret for not being brave enough to stay. She had carried that pain through two worlds, and now, finally, she stood before him, refusing to run.

The sound of her voice cracked the final wall in Song Chengfeng’s heart.

It was real.

She was real.

His Qi Jianyi.

With breath hitching in his throat, he raised his hand—slowly, cautiously—as though afraid she might vanish if he moved too quickly.

But halfway through, his hand froze in midair. His fingers trembled just inches from her cheek, suspended in hesitation.

Even then, even when the truth stood right before him, he couldn’t bring himself to touch her.

"Jianyi?" he whispered, so softly that it almost vanished into the night air. His voice cracked, trembling with disbelief, as his hand hovered uncertainty in front of her.

Qi Jianyi stepped forward and gently took his trembling hand in hers. Without hesitation, she brought it to her cheek, pressing his palm against her skin. Warm, real, alive.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but her smile was unwavering as she nodded rapidly.

"I’m here," she said, her voice thick with emotion, but sure. "I’m really here."

That confirmation—simple, honest, and so deeply heartfelt—was all it took to break the dam within him.

With a choked breath, Song Chengfeng pulled her into his arms. His hold was firm yet fragile, like he was terrified she’d slip away again if he let go even slightly.

His heart thundered against hers, and his eyes shut tightly, holding back the flood of emotions that threatened to pour out.

It was an embrace he had dreamed of, one he never thought he’d feel again. And now, against all odds, she was here—real and warm in his arms.

Qi Jianyi had returned.

She had come back for him.

...

"How...?" Song Chengfeng asked again, his voice low and slightly shaky, as soon as they were alone in Qi Jianyi’s bedroom.

Grandma He, ever sharp and understanding, had wasted no time. The moment she saw the way they looked at each other, she discreetly ushered them out of the garden, giving them the privacy they needed.

Now, in the softly lit room that had been thoughtfully prepared just for her, silence wrapped around them like a fragile veil.

Qi Jianyi turned to face him, still holding his hand. Her gaze wandered slowly over his features—his brows, his eyes, the curve of his jaw—as if memorising him all over again, as if afraid he might vanish the moment she blinked.

A soft, almost wistful smile curled her lips.

"Well, I just reached an agreement with Qi Jianyi... and then we switched bodies." Her answer was brief, unembellished. But its simplicity only sparked more questions in his heart.

"Why?" Song Chengfeng’s voice was hoarse, thick with emotion.

Though quiet, his tone held something desperate—hope, disbelief, fear.

Qi Jianyi’s hand slowly released his and gently moved to his face, brushing against his skin with a tenderness only time and longing could shape.

"Because I realised," she said softly, "that my life is not worth living without you in it."

The confession hung in the air, raw and naked.

"I miss you, Chengfeng," she murmured, her voice faltering just slightly before she closed her eyes.

The ache of those lost years swelled in her chest, too heavy to bear for another second. She took a step forward and fell into his embrace, burying her face against his chest, her arms wrapping around him with desperation and relief.

Song Chengfeng caught her, his arms instinctively locking around her waist. He held her tightly, grounding himself in her warmth, her scent, the familiar beat of her heart.

His eyes fluttered shut, and for a long, suspended moment, he didn’t move.

He still couldn’t believe it.

After all this time, after all that pain— She was really here.

"I’m sorry." Qi Jianyi murmured through her sobs, her voice trembling as though each word was being torn from the depths of her heart.

Her tears soaked into Song Chengfeng’s shirt, but she didn’t care.

"I’m sorry for leaving you like that. I’m sorry for lying to you," she cried, the weight of her guilt finally slipping past the defenses she had built.

"I should’ve told you about it. I knew... I knew how to go back to my world, but I didn’t tell you." Her voice cracked, her whole body shaking from the grief that had long buried itself in silence.

"I thought we had enough time." She raised her head, her teary eyes locking with his. The sorrow etched in her expression mirrored the years of regret she carried alone.

"I thought I had enough time to love you and tell you the truth." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it struck Song Chengfeng like thunder.

He could see the pain she endured—the torment of what-ifs and too-lates playing over and over in her mind.

Without a word, Song Chengfeng cupped her face in both hands. His thumbs gently wiped away her tears, and in that moment, she saw nothing but tenderness in his gaze.

"I never blamed you," he said softly, firmly.

"Not once... and never will." He leaned in and kissed her forehead—softly, reverently.

"So don’t blame yourself."

Then he kissed her left eye and whispered, "If there’s anything to blame, then blame me. You must’ve been terrified back then... and I was useless. I couldn’t even save you. I wasn’t there when you needed me most."

Tears brimmed in his own eyes now, slipping silently down his cheeks as his lips pressed a trembling kiss to her right eye.

"I promised I’d protect you... promised I’d be there for you." His voice broke, and the pain that had haunted him for seven years leaked through every word.

"But when it really mattered, when you got into that accident, I... I froze. I couldn’t even move."

"What kind of man am I? What kind of ex-soldier am I, if I couldn’t even save you?" When Song Chengfeng recalled his reaction back then, he couldn’t lift his head. The shame weighed heavily on him.

He—someone raised and trained to protect others—couldn’t even protect the woman he loved. He had let Qi Jianyi face that accident alone, consumed by fear. He had let her spend her final moments in this world in terror.

Qi Jianyi immediately shook her head, her heart aching as she reached for his hands and held them tightly in hers.

"No, Chengfeng," she said, her voice urgent yet gentle.

"Why are you blaming yourself? That day... it wasn’t your fault. None of it was." She gave his hands a light squeeze, grounding them both.

"I was just unlucky to be in that situation. That’s all." She tried to smile through her tears, her eyes shimmering with sincerity.

"You didn’t fail me. You never did."

In that quiet moment, it was no longer about who was at fault—but two people who had lost too much time, trying desperately to hold onto what they still had.

"Did I make you wait for long?" Qi Jianyi asked, a small smile tugging at her lips as she deliberately shifted the conversation.

Her chin brushed against Song Chengfeng’s chest, the movement making him squirm from the ticklish sensation.

Song Chengfeng shook his head. His eyes were still red, but they had softened completely.

"No," he replied gently.

"I can wait for you even for thousands of years," he added in a low, teasing voice, earning a soft laugh from Qi Jianyi.

"You’ll die before you even reach a hundred," she shot back, amused.

"Then I’ll continue to wait for you in the afterlife," Song Chengfeng answered without hesitation, his tone suddenly serious.

There was no mistaking it—he truly meant every word. He would wait for her, no matter how long.

Even if Qi Jianyi never returned to him, he was willing to wait for eternity.