The Young Miss Refuse To Love
Chapter 67: I will protect you

Chapter 67: I will protect you

"Qi Jianyi, I will protect you," Song Chengfeng murmured, his words gentle and unwavering.

He didn’t know what—or who—was haunting Qi Jianyi, but the way she had acted earlier made it clear that whatever it was had shaken her deeply, something too heavy for her to accept and even harder to face.

Without pressing her for answers, Song Chengfeng simply held her, his hand softly brushing over her head. His embrace was steady, despite his own stiffness, a quiet attempt to lend her strength.

Qi Jianyi, caught off guard by his comforting presence, felt an unfamiliar ache rise within her. She told herself she was fine—that her anger was aimed at the original Qi Jianyi alone.

Yet, the more Song Chengfeng whispered his reassurances, the more her own composure began to crumble.

A sudden pressure built behind her eyes, and she found herself struggling to hold back unexpected tears. Her hands, gripping the edge of his clothes around his waist, tightened as Qi Jianyi fought to push them back.

But it was no use. Despite her efforts to stay composed, her calm shattered under the warmth of Song Chengfeng’s gentle voice.

The man who was usually so guarded had spoken with such tenderness, stirring all the grievances she had tried so hard to bury.

"Why did this happen to me?" Qi Jianyi cried, her voice trembling as she finally poured out her grievances.

Her head resting on Song Chengfeng’s chest, as she sobbed in earnest, her heartache spilling over in waves.

Song Chengfeng’s body tensed as her sobs grew louder, a wave of panic washing over him. He’d never seen her this vulnerable, this broken. Her fingers clutched tightly around his waist, as if holding on for dear life.

"What did I do wrong? I just wanted to live...but why am I the one who has to suffer?" she whimpered, her voice small and fragile, laced with the weight of memories newly unlocked.

Qi Jianyi felt like a fool. She’d fought so hard, clawed her way up to a decent life, only to have it all torn away by someone else’s cruelty.

"Chengfeng...it’s exhausting. I’m so tired..." Her words came out in a whisper, her grip tightening as if he were the only thing keeping her from unraveling completely. "It hurts! I’m hurt..."

Song Chengfeng tightened his hold around her, his arms instinctively drawing her closer. Her loud, pitiful cries awoke something deep within him—an unfamiliar, fierce urge to protect her, to shield her from the world’s harshness.

"Where does it hurt? Tell me," he murmured, his voice soft, his hand gently patting her back in a rhythm meant to soothe.

"All of it. My heart, my head, my body...everything hurts," she whispered, lifting her teary eyes to meet his concerned gaze. "I want to go home..."

"I’ll take you home, okay?" Song Chengfeng murmured softly, offering a gentle smile he didn’t realise he could summon, as if this new tenderness had been waiting inside him all along, waiting just for her.

But Qi Jianyi didn’t see his smile. Her mind was tangled in thoughts of the "home" he meant—a place that felt like anything but home. She knew he didn’t understand, and her inability to correct him frustrated her.

"No—I don’t want to go home now," she said, shaking her head. The thought of facing the two people who looked exactly like her parents filled her with dread.

The more Qi Jianyi saw Mr. Qi and Mrs. Qi, the more she missed her real parents. Sometimes she doubted they had ever existed. The resemblance between them and Mr. Qi and Mrs. Qi were uncanny, as if fate had placed her in a world of strange reflections.

But Qi Jianyi knew this wasn’t her world, even with all their kindness. She couldn’t feel the warmth that Mr. Qi and Mrs. Qi extended, no matter how much she tries. That kindness had been meant for someone else, someone Qi Jianyi could never be. It wasn’t hers to accept.

She was grateful for their care, but her gratitude could only go so far. The original Qi Jianyi had known pain and neglect at their hands, and though that pain wasn’t hers, she felt it as if it were.

Accepting their kindness now felt wrong, as though she were stealing the love that should have been there from the beginning.

At one point, Qi Jianyi wanted nothing more than to slam herself against a wall for being so painfully naive. The woman she had pitied, the one she’d almost sympathized with, had been the one to steal her life.

But maybe it was the lingering remnants of the original Qi Jianyi’s emotions, tangled up inside her, or maybe she truly was foolish. Either way, the betrayal stung, and she felt it like a fresh wound.

"Then, we won’t go home," Song Chengfeng said gently, sensing her discomfort. He didn’t understand why Qi Jianyi had suddenly changed her mind, but he wasn’t going to press her.

It was obvious she saw him as someone she could confide in, someone she could lean on. Yet, Song Chengfeng could tell there was still a distance between them—a wall she wasn’t ready to tear down. The weight of her secrets hung between them, but he decided to let her lead, patient and willing to wait until she was ready.

Because, just as he had told her once before, he was someone with the patience to wait. If Qi Jianyi’s time was limited, then Song Chengfeng had all the time in the world. He’d wait as long as it took, standing by her side, unwavering.

Qi Jianyi stayed silent, fighting to steady herself as she forced back the tears, refusing to shed any more in front of a man she’d rejected countless times.

It felt like a shameful thing to break down in front of him, yet here she was, unraveling despite her efforts.

After a few minutes, she pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. She managed an embarrassed smile. "I’m sorry you had to see this ugly side of me," she murmured, her voice soft and barely steady.

But Song Chengfeng immediately shook his head. "What ugly side? I don’t like seeing you cry—especially when I don’t even know why you’re hurting. But I’m glad you didn’t shut me out, that you let yourself be vulnerable, even if just for a moment."

He reached up, hesitating before his fingertips gently brushed away the remaining tears on her cheeks. His hand lingered, warm and tender, as his gaze softened.

"Qi Jianyi," he said, his voice calm but carrying an edge of something deeper. "I like you. I want to be by your side. I want us to have something real, something lasting. But I know...whatever you’re going through, it’s breaking you down. I won’t press you to tell me, not until you’re ready. But—"

He paused, drawing a deep breath as his smile softened. "But please, don’t push me away. Let me stay close. Let me be there for you, to face whatever this is with you. Hmm?"

For the first time in years, Song Chengfeng felt a raw, unfamiliar nervousness twist inside him. He’d been nervous when he’d first confessed to her, but the stakes felt different now. More intense. More vulnerable.

"Why?" Qi Jianyi asked, her voice barely a breath. "Why are you so persistent?"

She was dumbfounded by his actions, by the patience and sincerity he showed despite her repeated rejections.

She knew she wasn’t much better than a scumbag, aware of his feelings yet refusing him time and again. But every time Song Chengfeng stood in front of her, she found herself unable to drive him away.

She told herself she needed to be firm. She didn’t want any entanglement, didn’t want to feel anything for him. She had long decided to guard herself, to refuse love.

But here he was, this man who’d once seemed so cold and unreachable, now slowly and almost hesitantly stepping toward her with a gentle expression no one else had ever seen. Somehow, that quiet persistence held her back from pushing him away.

They’d only known each other for a few months. The number of times they’d met could be counted on two hands. And yet, every time she saw those persistent eyes, she found herself at a loss.

"Why can’t you just give up? What is it that I have that makes you so willing to stay, knowing that I’ll never accept you?" Her questions were directed at him, but part of her wondered too.

’Do you like me because I’m the young miss of the Qi family, Qi Jianyi? Or do you like me for who I am beneath that title, just a regular Qi Jianyi?’

Song Chengfeng watched the confusion flicker across Qi Jianyi’s face. He sensed there was more hidden beneath her words, a meaning she wasn’t ready to reveal.

"Can I ask you something?" he ventured, steering the conversation away from her question. He noticed her eyebrows lift in slight surprise, but she nodded, signaling him to continue.

Taking a steadying breath, he asked, his voice low and hoarse, "Why do you always look at me like I’m not human?"

"What?" Qi Jianyi’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. She had anticipated all sorts of questions from him—but not this.

"That day, at the hospital, when you rejected me. The way you looked at me... it was like I was a lifeless doll. And sometimes, even now, it feels like you see people around you as if they aren’t real." His voice softened, yet there was a vulnerable intensity in his gaze.

Qi Jianyi shook her head, instinctively taking a step back. "I don’t understand you."

Song Chengfeng caught the faint panic that surfaced in her eyes, a flash of unease that only deepened his curiosity. He longed to know the truth, to unravel the mystery of her guarded heart, but he knew he had no right to push her any further.

"It’s fine," he murmured, relenting, "you don’t have to answer that."

He paused, his voice softer as he continued, "But Jianyi...don’t look at me like that anymore. I’m here. I’m alive. And I want to be someone real to you."

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