Chapter 19.1

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A hospital?

Qiao Ziman suddenly recalled how Chi Yin had collided with Lu Yu during their struggle last night, hitting her shoulder with a dull thud. Did she get injured back then? But Chi Yin hadn’t said a word about it at the time. In fact, she even took care of Qiao Ziman all night.

How much pain was she enduring? Was it that her past life—one where no one to confide in, no one cared—had taught her to silently endure without mentioning a thing?

Qiao Ziman felt a deep sense of heartache and overwhelming guilt. Consumed by these emotions, she spent the entire evening in a gloomy state. What made her even more frustrated was how the dinner got hijacked by Director Gao and her team.

That evening, just as Qiao Ziman and her group had placed their orders, Director Gao and her crew walked in. Upon seeing Chi Yin, they eagerly came over, insisting on joining their table. The worst part? Two of them were important B2B partners, so there was no way to turn them down.

No sense of boundaries.

What was meant to be a casual get-together was forcefully turned into a business dinner. Qiao Ziman had to endure a barrage of fake compliments and shallow small talk, and it was driving her nuts. To make matters worse, the people across from them kept pushing drinks.

Qiao Ziman’s pent-up frustration finally had a target. She shot a fierce “no drinking” look at Chi Yin and then began taking the rounds of drinks on her behalf. By the end of the dinner, Qiao Ziman had lost count of how many drinks she had downed. She was dizzy, seeing double, and could barely keep her balance.

Ji Yun and Tang Xiaoxiao each supported her from one side.

“Qiao Qiao, what’s going on with you today? You just recovered from your cold and now you’re drinking like this. I’m telling you, if this happens again, I’m not helping!”

Qiao Ziman stared blankly at the ground, her response delayed, “Got it.”

Chi Yin was hailing a cab on the roadside. When she heard Ji Yun’s remark, she turned and gave her a disapproving look, her eyes practically screaming, “Who asked you?”

“If she wants to drink, let her drink. A little drinking is fine.”

Ji Yun: “…” Alright, my bad.

At that moment, Tang Xiaoxiao, who had been quiet all evening, suddenly had a burst of enthusiasm. She turned to Qiao Ziman and cheerfully offered, “Why don’t you come sleep at my place tonight? We can head to work together tomorrow.” After all, her place was close to the office.

Qiao Ziman, still in a daze, smiled sweetly and obediently replied, “Okay.”

Ji Yun glanced over at Chi Yin, and just as expected, her face had darkened. Without missing a beat, Ji Yun grabbed Tang Xiaoxiao and dragged her away, covering her mouth. “You and your big mouth, are you crazy?”

Tang Xiaoxiao, muffled, protested with wild gestures, “Mmph, mmph, Qiao Qiao doesn’t bite!”

Ji Yun wasn’t sure about Qiao Ziman, but the person standing next to her certainly looked like she was ready to bite. With an apologetic smile, Ji Yun made a “please go ahead” gesture and said, “You go ahead and sleep.”

Chi Yin, with no hesitation, swiftly bundled the confused Qiao Ziman into a taxi and took off.

Watching the car disappear into the distance, Ji Yun stood there in the exhaust fumes, silently praying for Qiao Qiao’s well-being.

***

The taxi drove through the quiet, empty streets. Neon lights flickered outside the car window. Qiao Ziman sat obediently in the back seat, staring straight at her toes, looking particularly well-behaved. Chi Yin couldn’t help but ask, “Do you often stay over at Tang Xiaoxiao’s place?”

Qiao Ziman put on a thinking face, pausing for a few seconds before saying, with a puzzled expression, “Who’s Tang Xiaoxiao?”

Chi Yin: “…”

“You don’t even know her, and you were planning to go with her? Aren’t you afraid she’d sell you off and count the money?” Then she added, “In the future, if I’m not with you, you’re not allowed to drink this much, understood?”

Qiao Ziman dragged out her response, “Okaaay.”

Chi Yin frowned and glanced over. “Do you even know who I am?”

Qiao Ziman propped open her eyelids with her fingers, trying to open her eyes as wide as possible. She slowly and deliberately enunciated, “Chi… Yin.”

How could she be so obedient and cute after drinking? Chi Yin’s heart softened even more. She reached out to gently tuck Qiao Ziman’s hair behind her ear. “If you’re uncomfortable, you can rest your head on my shoulder for a while.”

Qiao Ziman steadied herself, suddenly looking serious. “Your shoulder is injured. I won’t.”

Out of nowhere, she extended a finger and lightly poked Chi Yin between her brows, scolding, “Why did you go to the hospital without telling me?”

Chi Yin was speechless.

Qiao Ziman poked her again. “And stop swaying. Next time, make sure you call me. Whenever you need anything, I can be there for you.”

Chi Yin’s gaze softened, her heart swelling with affection. She quietly replied, “Okay.”

Then, with a slight shift in tone, she asked, “But will you even remember what you’re saying when you sober up tomorrow?”

“Who’s drunk? I’m Qiao Jie, the wild beauty who can handle a few glasses of wine, ha!” Qiao Ziman boasted.

Chi Yin: “…”

After dropping Qiao Ziman off at her home, Chi Yin didn’t leave right away. Instead, she went into the kitchen to make her some sobering soup. As she recalled Qiao Ziman’s adorable antics on the way back, she couldn’t help but smile. Like when they got out of the cab, and Qiao Ziman quietly followed her, stubbornly holding onto her coat while walking in a perfectly straight line.

And when they climbed the stairs, clearly dizzy, she had cautiously muttered… “Chi Yin, is it an earthquake?” Qiao Ziman asked, looking dazed.

Chi Yin had laughed so hard her shoulders shook.

At that moment, a rustling sound came from behind, pulling Chi Yin from her thoughts. She turned around to see Qiao Ziman, gripping her pajama sleeves, unsteadily walking toward her. Chi Yin quickly set down the spoon and rushed over to support her. “Why are you out of bed? Aren’t you still dizzy?”

“I’m much better,” Qiao Ziman replied. After getting some fresh air on the way home and resting with her eyes closed for a while, she felt clearer-headed. Standing upright, she added, “Thanks again for today, Boss Chi.”

Chi Yin shot her a dissatisfied look before turning back to stir the sobering soup. “Earlier, you were calling me ‘Chi Yin’ left and right, but now it’s back to ‘Boss Chi’ like we’re strangers again? Let me ask you, are we at work or off-duty?”

The question sounded strangely familiar. Qiao Ziman thought about it for a moment with her still somewhat foggy brain. Oh, right—this was the same thing Chi Yin had said when they first met, during that misunderstanding. Ha, this woman.

“Hey,” Qiao Ziman tugged at the back of Chi Yin’s coat, her fingers tapping on the phone sitting on the counter. “Chi Yin, can you take me off your blacklist now?”

Chi Yin looked at her with interest. “Hmm? What do you mean?”

Qiao Ziman: “…”

She casually picked up a piece of bok choy from the table and handed it over. “Congratulations to Miss Chi Yin on winning the Best Actress Award. Here, have an Oscar statuette.”

Chi Yin gracefully accepted the bok choy, curling her lips into a smile. “Thank you, I’ll keep working hard.”

Really? She’s giving an acceptance speech now? “Chi Yin, why do you hold grudges like this?”

Chi Yin replied, “Of course I do. After all, someone here has a bad memory. Played me, and then forgot all about it. Shouldn’t I hold a grudge?”

Qiao Ziman: “… You should.”

Chi Yin seemed pleased with that answer. She opened her WeChat blacklist, her finger hovering over Qiao Ziman’s name, smiling playfully. “Once I add you back, you can’t add anyone else, dear.”

The term “dear” instantly pulled Qiao Ziman’s memory back to the day they first met at the Chunsheng Restaurant. At that time, she had called Chi Yin with such a delicate tone. Qiao Ziman shivered with goosebumps. “Stop saying that!”

Did she still want to keep living?

Chi Yin suddenly put away her smile, her expression turning serious and earnest. “Qiao Ziman, were you serious about that ‘dislike’?”

If she truly disliked her, she wouldn’t care about her well-being, her emotions, or argue with others to protect her reputation. Although she knew the answer clearly in her heart, she still wanted to hear Qiao Ziman say it out loud.

Without hesitation, Qiao Ziman said those three words, “Not disliked.”

Chi Yin smiled, genuinely. She waved her hand and let Qiao Ziman out of the small room.

“I’m going to take a shower; I smell of alcohol.”

“Can you manage on your own?” Chi Yin asked with concern. “Or should I help you?”

Qiao Ziman rolled her eyes and turned toward the bathroom. “Not necessary. Underestimate me, huh?”

Now she knows how to refuse people? Not so obedient; the alcohol must be wearing off quickly. Chi Yin suddenly felt a mischievous impulse and called out to her back, “Qiao Ziman. Not disliked means liking, right?”

Qiao Ziman’s steps faltered, and she stumbled a few steps, almost making intimate contact with the ground. Laughter came from behind her—joyful, pleasant, and utterly unrestrained.

Her new friend always had a knack for making startling remarks. Qiao Ziman gritted her teeth in frustration. “Like, like you to death, okay?” She then slammed the bathroom door shut.

Chi Yin continued to busy herself in the kitchen while keeping an ear out for any noise from the bathroom. The sound of running water was heard, and soon, Qiao Ziman’s singing drifted out. “Beyond the mountains and the sea, there’s a group of Smurfs…”

Whether there were any Smurfs or not, the mountain path was certainly rugged. Her off-key singing, despite Chi Yin’s three-meter-thick filter, could not be genuinely praised as pleasant. However, one thing was clear:

Qiao Ziman wasn’t in any danger.

Chi Yin felt relieved, turned off the stove, and set the hangover soup aside to cool. She then leaned back against the head of the bed to rest. Seeing a stranger occupying its spot, Qiao Xiaohua arched its back and leaped onto the bed, fur bristling.

Chi Yin slowly sat up, turning her gaze to Qiao Xiaohua. Her eyes glinted with a faint, eerie light, almost like a dangerous animal asserting its territorial rights in some sense. Sensing danger, Qiao Xiaohua tucked its tail between its legs and quickly jumped off the bed, scurrying under it.

At that moment, Qiao Ziman emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. “What’s wrong with Qiao Xiaohua? I thought I heard it make a noise earlier?”

Following the sound, Chi Yin saw that Qiao Ziman was wrapped in a large T-shirt that barely covered her thighs. Whether it was from the lingering effects of alcohol or the steam, her exposed skin had a tempting, light pink hue.

Chi Yin found it hard to look away. Swallowing, she replied dryly, “I don’t know, maybe it’s in heat.”

“Oh really? Looks like it needs to be neutered then.”

From under the bed, Qiao Xiaohua let out a pitiful cry, sounding extremely aggrieved. Qiao Ziman ignored the cat and rummaged through a drawer to find a hairdryer. Casually, she asked, “Did you turn off the gas stove in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, I turned it off. I didn’t expect you to be so safety-conscious about that.”

“Of course. Many years ago, our neighbor nearly had an incident. Thankfully, it was caught in time and the fire was controlled.”

Chi Yin’s fingers curled slightly as she mumbled, “Neighbor?”