The Young Miss Refuse To Love
Chapter 74: The essence of falling in love

Chapter 74: The essence of falling in love

"Sister, do you know anyone who’s racing today?" Qi Jinli asked slowly as they walked to their seats, his voice filled with a curiosity that matched the gleam in his eyes.

Qi Jianyi shook her head, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "No, how could I possibly know anyone in this industry?" she replied, the question striking her as oddly misplaced.

"But didn’t you say you’ve been here before?" Qi Jinlu tilted his head, brows furrowed in confusion.

"I came to watch, not to make friends with the racers," she shot back, rolling her eyes at the implication.

When had she ever claimed to know anyone here? This was the first time she had stepped into this place in this world, and the feeling of unfamiliarity gnawed at her.

"Just focus on the race and keep your mouth shut," she added as they finally settled into their seats.

The midday sun blazed overhead, making the concrete stands feel like a furnace. Qi Jianyi reached for her drink, which Qi Jinli had been holding, and took a long, cool sip, fanning herself with her cap to ward off the heat.

Qi Jinlu exchanged a look with his twin and muttered under his breath, "Does she think we’re kids or something?"

"I heard that!" Qi Jianyi snapped, narrowing her eyes at her brother, her patience fraying under the heat and the noise.

Almost instinctively, Qi Jinlu plastered a wide, sheepish grin on his face, showing off a row of white teeth that only irritated her further. The heat was relentless, and so was the smile.

"Sister, I was just joking. I didn’t say anything," he said with a forced chuckle, hoping to dodge her anger.

"Calm down, or you’ll just make yourself dizzy," Song Chengfeng interjected, his voice smooth and disarming as he gently pulled Qi Jianyi’s attention away from her brother.

Without another word, he took her cap and placed it snugly on her head. From a plastic bag brimming with snacks they had picked out earlier, he retrieved an electronic fan and aimed it at her, a gentle breeze offering instant relief.

Qi Jianyi’s eyes widened in surprise as she eyed the fan. When had he bought it?

"When did you get that?" she asked, the question slipping out before she could stop it.

Song Chengfeng’s lips quirked into a small smile. "While you were busy choosing your snacks," he answered briefly, keeping the fan steady in his hand, directing its cool stream toward her without pause.

"Let me hold it," she said, reaching out. "Your arm will get sore."

He pulled the fan just out of her reach, an amused glint in his eyes. "My arm won’t get sore from something like this. Did you forget who I am?" His voice carried a note of pride, firm and unyielding.

Of course, she thought. How could an ex-special forces soldier’s arm get tired from holding an electric fan? Compared to the grueling exercises and relentless drills he once endured, this was nothing more than a moment’s gesture of care.

"Sister, what’s happening over there?" Qi Jinlu’s question cut through their conversation as he pointed at a gathering at the corner of the stairs.

Qi Jianyi followed his gaze and saw a lively crowd clustered together, voices rising in excited chatter and smiles flashing under the bright sun. One glance was enough for her to understand what was going on.

"Betting," she said, her response succinct.

"Betting? Betting on what?" The twins exchanged puzzled looks, their brows furrowing as they tried to piece together the reason behind the commotion.

Qi Jianyi couldn’t help but give her brothers an incredulous look. It was one thing to not recognize the usual activities at these types of events, but being unaware of the audience’s hidden games was something else. She sighed inwardly, amused at the thought.

’So, there really are rich kids who know nothing of the world’s ways,’ she mused.

"They’re placing bets on which racer will win today," Song Chengfeng clarified, catching her bemused expression.

Qi Jinlu’s eyes widened with sudden excitement, the idea of quick gains lighting up his expression. "So, if we bet on the winner, we’ll get back double the money we put in?" He could almost smell the money falling into his hands.

"Keep dreaming," Qi Jianyi scoffed. "There are more than ten racers, and you have to pick the right one to win. To us, the audience, it’s just a game of luck. But to those racers, it’s hard work—they carry the weight of everyone’s entertainment without even knowing it."

"What’s so difficult about that?" Qi Jinlu said, confidence ringing in his voice. "We’ll just bet on all the racers and put in the same amount on each!" He stood tall as if he’d just solved a great mystery, and Qi Jinli’s head bobbed in eager agreement beside him.

Qi Jinli thought his twin was onto something brilliant. After all, they had the money, and participating seemed fun, a way to add a thrill to the day.

Qi Jianyi stared at them, her disbelief turning into exasperation. "You two are so unbelievably stupid. Why does the world let people like you be born into rich families while smart people end up struggling?"

The sharpness of her words cut through the twins’ excitement. They shared more than just looks—they even shared a singular brain cell, it seemed.

Song Chengfeng tried to stifle a laugh, disguising it with a cough. Qi Jinlu’s eyes narrowed as he pouted, genuinely offended by his sister’s bluntness. Meanwhile, Qi Jinli simply tilted his head, puzzled as to why he was suddenly being called stupid.

"I know mom and dad give you a ridiculous amount of pocket money every month," Qi Jianyi continued, her tone firm, "but I didn’t realise you were so eager to throw it away. Betting on more than one racer is already not profitable, let alone betting on all of them. Mark my words—don’t even think about getting into a gambling habit. You don’t have the knack for it, and you’ll only end up ruining our family’s wealth."

The twins exchanged a sheepish glance, their initial excitement fading. Qi Jinlu’s confidence wavered under her stare, while Qi Jinli’s expression shifted from confusion to embarrassment.

To Qi Jianyi, who had once felt the sting of poverty, watching them talk about throwing money around as if it were a game struck a raw nerve. It wasn’t that placing harmless bets was inherently wrong—it was the thought of such wastefulness simply because their parents’ wealth seemed endless that grated on her.

"Go on and place your bet if you really want to, but just choose one racer, okay?" Qi Jianyi’s voice softened as she caught the disheartened look on her brothers’ faces.

"And don’t bet too much," she added, her warning laced with a hint of concern.

At her hesitant permission, the twins’ eyes lit up, their smiles returning with an energy that made them seem even younger. With a shared glance full of silent understanding, they spun on their heels and hurried toward the betting station, their excitement palpable.

"You’re going soft on them," Song Chengfeng teased, a warm note in his voice as he handed a chocolate-flavored lollipop he’d unwrapped earlier to her.

Qi Jianyi accepted the lollipop, twirling it between her fingers before putting it in her mouth. The sweetness did little to mask the pang in her chest. For a moment, she let her guard down and said, "They’re so clueless sometimes. Who knows? One day, someone might try to take advantage of that."

Song Chengfeng’s chuckle broke the tension, deep and rich. "But they won’t be fooled."

"Hm?" She looked up at him, her brows knitting in confusion. The sun caught the sharpness in his eyes, making her feel suddenly exposed.

"They have you as their sister," he said simply. "Who would dare try to fool them?"

His words hung in the air, weaving between the noise of the crowd and the echo of her own heartbeat. Qi Jianyi’s breath hitched, and she quickly turned her gaze away, afraid he might catch the emotion that flickered in her eyes. Song Chengfeng was perceptive, and she didn’t need him digging deeper into her thoughts.

"But still, they have to stand on their own one day," she murmured, more to herself than to him, adding silently in her mind, because I won’t always be there to protect them.

"They’ll grow up one day, so don’t worry too much," Song Chengfeng said, his voice breaking through her drifting thoughts and grounding her in the moment.

Qi Jianyi’s eyes flickered with a hint of acknowledgment before he continued, shifting the mood. "But I didn’t expect you to be someone who enjoys watching these kinds of intense races." He leaned back in his seat, casting her a sidelong glance.

A faint, humorless smile tugged at her lips. The idea of likes and dislikes felt almost foreign, as if they belonged to someone else’s life. "You don’t even know me well enough to guess what I’d watch," she replied, a slight challenge in her tone.

The silence that followed carried an edge of truth that neither spoke of, but both felt. Song Chengfeng’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before turning to the track, and Qi Jianyi shifted her attention back to the scene ahead, fanning herself lightly as the sun pressed down.

In truth, no one in this world really knew what Qi Jianyi liked. Not that it saddened her—she preferred it that way, guarding her true self behind an impenetrable wall of silence and deflection.

"I might not know now, but I’ll figure it out eventually," Song Chengfeng said softly, his voice carrying a warmth that felt like a gentle breeze brushing past her ear.

A flicker of surprise crossed her features as he added, "Just like how I already know you don’t actually enjoy these races, even if I don’t know why you decided to come." His words held a certainty that made her heart pause. Yes, she was right to think that he didn’t know her fully. Yet, here he was, speaking as if knowing her was an ongoing journey—a journey he wanted to take.

That was the essence of falling in love, wasn’t it? The desire to learn her likes and dislikes, to understand the little habits she wasn’t even aware of herself, to know her as she truly was when the mask slipped away.

Song Chengfeng was prepared to take that journey. He would unravel her mysteries one by one, not by what she chose to reveal to the world, but by patiently observing the parts of herself she kept hidden.

For now, it was enough that he didn’t have all the answers. Because he knew that as long as he stayed by her side, piece by piece, he would come to know the real Qi Jianyi. And for him, that was worth any amount of time.