Chapter 11

Qiao Ziman crossed her arms, lightly tapping her fingertips on the back of her hand. Her gaze moved from Chi Yin’s face down to the black bag, and she suddenly recalled the day when Chi Yin had a stomach ache but was still in a hurry to meet a “friend.”

This friend must be the one standing here now. Couldn’t meet last time, so they impatiently moved the rendezvous to the office?

In broad daylight, planning to have some office fun?

Qiao Ziman let out another “hmph,” her tone filled with disdain. “Ms. Chi, your personal life is none of my business, but this is the company. As the person in charge, you should at least be mindful of the impact. This is really disgraceful.”

“It’s not like that,” Chi Yin hurriedly pushed Yu Shuyan away, then grabbed Qiao Ziman’s wrist before she could leave. “I can explain.”

Qiao Ziman frowned, quickly turned around, and slapped her hand away. “Why do you feel the need to explain to me? Wasn’t I clear enough?”

Chi Yin was momentarily speechless, her outstretched hand stiffening in midair before she slowly withdrew it.

“And another thing,” Qiao Ziman pointed at Yu Shuyan, showing no mercy in her words. “Are we that close for you to be calling me ‘little sister’?”

Yu Shuyan: “…”

After Qiao Ziman left, Chi Yin kept staring in the direction she had gone, her figure somewhat dejected but faintly radiating a strong anger. Yu Shuyan, knowing she had caused trouble, felt a chill run down her spine, and her heart trembled with anxiety. She quietly pinched the bag and tiptoed, preparing to sneak away.

“Yu Shuyan,” these three words seemed to be forced out from Chi Yin’s throat.

They were chillingly cold.

Yu Shuyan instantly froze in place, unable to move. “Boss Chi, would you believe me if I said I didn’t do it on purpose?”

Just when Qiao Ziman was starting to not “dislike” her as much, this person had to ruin it and bring everything back to square one. Chi Yin was furious.

“Your partner was jealous—aren’t you going to chase after her?” Yu Shuyan felt she had to say something before Chi Yin’s icy gaze froze her to death.

Chi Yin’s fingers curled slightly at her side, incredulous. “Jealous?”

“Why would she be so angry if she wasn’t jealous? But,” Yu Shuyan gave an awkward smile, “your partner sure has a fiery temper. I won’t dare to joke around with her in the future.”

Chi Yin raised an eyebrow, her mood visibly improving. “Glad you know.”

Yu Shuyan breathed a sigh of relief, watching Chi Yin’s expression closely. “I’m off then,” she said, reluctantly setting down the bag in her hand. “Here, it’s yours. Wishing you both… happiness.” With that, she hurriedly made her escape.

Chi Yin called out to her from behind, “Do you think I wouldn’t be prepared for this?”

Yu Shuyan: “…” Alright, I overthought it.

At 3:00 PM, the sky suddenly darkened. Rolling thunder rumbled, and a violent storm swept in, carried by fierce winds.

Qiao Ziman always felt particularly irritable during such sudden weather changes. But today, this restlessness was even more intense than usual, with a strange mix of emotions that she couldn’t quite identify or rationalize. She wondered, perhaps it was because she had walked in on Chi’s little office escapade and was now afraid that woman might seek revenge?

But then, why was she the one feeling this inexplicable anger?

Qiao Ziman exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. Just then, a loud clap of thunder echoed from the sky, accompanied by the urgent ringing of her phone. Qiao Ziman’s heart suddenly skipped a few beats. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen. The caller was her cousin, Qiao Xuan. Her cousin never called during work hours, so why now?

A sense of unease crept into Qiao Ziman’s heart as she quickly pressed the answer button. Her voice carried a hint of urgency, “Hello, what’s going on?”

“Qiao Qiao… are you busy?”

The voice on the other end was hesitant. Qiao Ziman grew even more anxious, her grip tightening on the phone.

Qiao Xuan continued, “Qiao Qiao, can you get through to Auntie’s phone? She mentioned feeling a bit unwell a couple of days ago. I just wanted to let you know, but it’s probably nothing serious. If you have time, give her a call. And if you’re not too busy this weekend, maybe visit home. I remember it’s been a while since you last did.”

“What do you mean by ‘probably’?” Qiao Ziman’s head buzzed with worry. In her panic, she slammed her hand on the desk and stood up, drawing the attention of her colleagues around her. She paused to compose herself before saying, “Alright, I understand.”

After hanging up, Qiao Ziman immediately called He Cuizhen.

She dialed several times in a row, but no one answered. Panic set in, and the unease in her heart grew stronger. Without much hesitation, she grabbed her bag and rushed to Chi Yin’s office. “Boss Chi, I need to take leave.”

The door was forcefully pushed open, and the person in front of her was breathing heavily, with visible anxiety in her eyes. Chi Yin was momentarily stunned and couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Is something wrong?”

Qiao Ziman didn’t have time to explain; she turned and ran out, “I’ll explain later. I’m taking your car too.”

Lightning flashed like silver dragons within the thick clouds, and the thunder roared as rain poured down like a waterfall. In such weather, Chi Yin absolutely couldn’t let Qiao Ziman drive alone. Without a second thought, she chased after her and managed to stop the elevator doors from closing just in time.

Qiao Ziman looked up and saw Chi Yin standing before her, momentarily dazed. Then she questioned, “Why did you follow me? Worried that without me, no one would serve you? Or worried about work progress?”

Chi Yin squeezed into the elevator and pressed the button for the basement level, simply saying, “I’ll drive you.”

“No need.” Qiao Ziman’s malicious assumptions were shattered by Chi Yin’s simple response, leaving her without the confidence to continue refusing. She lowered her gaze and softly said, “I can manage on my own.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve acted as your driver. You’re in a hurry, right? I’m an experienced driver—I promise it’ll be both smooth and fast.”

Chi Yin’s deliberately light-hearted tone managed to calm Qiao Ziman’s frantic heart for a moment. She nodded slightly and responded quietly, “Okay.”

The two of them drove towards Qiao Ziman’s rural hometown.

A few years ago, after a significant change in her family’s circumstances, Qiao Ziman sold their house in town to ease the financial burden and moved back to the countryside. It was about fifty to sixty kilometers from the city—not too far, but part of the journey was on a difficult road. Each trip home required changing buses twice, which was extremely time-consuming. This was one of the reasons she seldom found the time to go back.

Qiao Ziman never imagined that her first return home in half a year would be under such circumstances. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried.

She remained silent, repeatedly dialing her mother’s phone. No matter how many times she called, the only response was the terrifying busy signal and the endless noise of the rain outside.

Sensing Qiao Ziman’s growing anxiety, Chi Yin tightened her grip on the steering wheel. The torrential rain pounded against the windshield, forming streams of water that obscured her view. The downpour was even more intense than she had anticipated, and she had to focus all her attention just to make out the road ahead.

“Thank you… for today,” Qiao Ziman finally spoke, perhaps trying to distract herself from the overwhelming anxiety that had been building up during their silent drive.

Chi Yin responded with a simple “Mm,” noticing out of the corner of her eye that Qiao Ziman’s hands were trembling uncontrollably. Feeling a pang of concern, she pressed down on the accelerator.

“Aren’t you worried she’ll be upset if you don’t go back to her? I’m sorry for interrupting your ‘date’ twice,” Qiao Ziman added, her voice tinged with a mix of guilt and sarcasm.

Chi Yin knew that the “she” Qiao Ziman referred to was Yu Shuyan, and she couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Who cares what happens to her?”

Meanwhile, soaked to the skin and shivering in the back seat of a taxi, Yu Shuyan suddenly sneezed several times in a row, clutching the black bag in her arms even tighter.

Chi Yin was just about to explain when she heard Qiao Ziman ask, “Do you think my mom… she’ll be okay?” The question sounded more like a desperate attempt to seek comfort, a self-deceptive reassurance on the verge of a breakdown. Chi Yin had never seen this vulnerable side of Qiao Ziman before and couldn’t help but glance at her.

She firmly reassured, “Auntie will be fine. With me here, don’t be afraid.”

Suddenly, Qiao Ziman’s unfocused gaze snapped to a single point, and her body tensed in that instant. A series of urgent honks exploded in their ears, followed by Qiao Ziman’s terrified scream: “Watch out!!!”

The car’s headlights flickered and a massive truck appeared out of nowhere at the bend in the road.