Chapter 19.2

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“Yes, the little girl next door. She looked like a doll, but unfortunately, she was mute. Even when the fire broke out, she couldn’t call for help.”

Chi Yin suddenly looked up, her eyes flickering. Sensing the silence behind her, Qiao Ziman turned off the hairdryer. “What’s wrong?”

Chi Yin slightly averted her gaze, standing up and softly saying, “It’s getting late; I should go back.”

“What?” Qiao Ziman put down the hairdryer and grabbed her wrist. “You’re staying at my place tonight. I can’t let you go back like this, you’re injured.”

She fetched a clean T-shirt, a new bra, and disposable underwear from the cabinet, and pushed a stunned Chi Yin toward the bathroom. Avoiding eye contact, she explained, “We agreed on this over the phone. We’re friends now, so it’s perfectly normal to sleep over occasionally.”

This was the first time Qiao Ziman had actively invited Chi Yin. Little did she know, this decision would be one she’d regret so deeply that she’d wish she could travel back in time and strangle her past self.

While Chi Yin was in the bathroom, Qiao Ziman changed the bed linens, and took out a new blanket and pillow to place at the head of the bed. She then opened her seldom-checked Weibo and started browsing through the news.

Qiao Ziman had a favorite young celebrity, Ji Yao, who recently starred in a dual-lead film that was about to be released. Her Weibo feed was filled with marketing accounts hyping up the on-screen pairing.

While Qiao Ziman was engrossed in her feed, she heard the bathroom door open. Chi Yin emerged, her body enveloped in steam, and walked up to her. “I’m done with my shower.”

Qiao Ziman put down her phone and slowly looked up, her gaze moving from Chi Yin’s flawless bare face downward, inch by inch. When her eyes reached Chi Yin’s chest, they abruptly stopped.

Qiao Ziman was now completely sober, her eyes wide as she stammered, “Why aren’t you wearing a bra?”

The T-shirt she was wearing was so thin that it allowed her to see every detail clearly.

Full, quite proud.

Chi Yin again made a startling comment, “You’ve already touched them before.”

Qiao Ziman: “!!!”

Seeing that Qiao Ziman seemed frozen in place, Chi Yin let out a soft, amused laugh. “I’m not joking with you. Haven’t you felt them yourself? Your size isn’t suitable for me; it’s too tight.”

Qiao Ziman: “!!!” So impressive!!!

At this moment, Chi Yin made a surprising move. Under Qiao Ziman’s gaze, she slowly began to remove her top. The alluring curves of Chi Yin’s body were suddenly laid out before Qiao Ziman’s eyes. A rush of heat surged through her, causing her blood to pound in her veins.

“What… what are you doing?” Qiao Ziman stammered, her voice faltering as she tried to process the unexpected sight.

Chi Yin shot her a look that clearly conveyed, “Making a fuss over nothing.” She extended her hand, offering a bottle of body lotion. “Help me out. My shoulder is injured, and I can’t reach it.”

Still flustered, Qiao Ziman struggled to find her words. “Is it really necessary to be so delicate about this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Chi Yin nodded seriously.

Given that the shoulder injury was a result of her actions, Qiao Ziman knew she had to help, no matter how uncomfortable it made her. She gritted her teeth and grabbed the lotion with determination. “Fine, I’ll do it!” she said, trying to sound resolute.

Chi Yin turned her back, presenting the injured shoulder to Qiao Ziman. The sight of the stark, alarming bruise was immediately striking. It was clear that Chi Yin was in pain, and it stirred a wave of tender sympathy in Qiao Ziman. She lifted her hand and, with great care, began to gently caress the bruised area with her fingertips. “Does it hurt?” she asked softly.

“The doctor said it didn’t hit the bone,” Chi Yin replied, her voice steady despite the discomfort.

Qiao Ziman leaned in closer, her lips approaching the bruise. She exhaled gently and said, “Pain, pain, fly away, fly away,” attempting to offer some comfort with her words.

Suddenly, Chi Yin tensed up, and her expression became slightly awkward. Qiao Ziman looked at her in confusion. “???” she wondered, puzzled by the change. Chi Yin then let out a single word, “Itchy.”

Qiao Ziman’s reaction was simply a stunned silence, her face a blank canvas as she tried to process the unexpected response. What was she being so shy about? It wasn’t like she had done anything. Qiao Ziman pursed her lips and squeezed some body lotion into her palm. After rubbing her hands together, she placed her palm on Chi Yin’s elegant butterfly shoulder blades and began making clockwise circles.

As she worked, the heat in her palm gradually intensified, soon rising to her head. The warmth made Qiao Ziman feel dizzy. Had she not fully sobered up yet?

Clearing her throat, Qiao Ziman closed her eyes and tossed the body lotion toward Chi Yin. “You can take care of the front yourself,” she said, before quickly jumping off the bed and heading to the kitchen. There, she drank the cooled hangover soup in one go and took a few breaths of fresh air by the window to cool down.

By the time she returned to the bedside, Chi Yin had already dressed.

Qiao Ziman let out a quiet sigh of relief, turned off the light, and prepared to go to sleep. She positioned herself on the innermost side of the bed, placing a pillow between them. “Chi Yin, was everything you said at the party with Mr. Zhang really true?”

In the darkness, Chi Yin opened her eyes. “Which part?”

Qiao Ziman shifted her position, resting on her arm as she finally asked the question she had been holding in. “The part where you said you’ve never been in a relationship.”

“Indeed, I haven’t.” Chi Yin said out of nowhere, “There’s no sex life either.”

Qiao Ziman shot up straight, “I don’t believe you. Then that woman is…”

“Just a friend. I help her buy things sometimes because it’s inconvenient for her.”

Qiao Ziman was shocked. “Then why did you invite me to your place when I added you last time?”

Chi Yin grabbed his phone from the pillow, unlocked it, and handed over the chat log. “You missed the message I sent after.”

Qiao Ziman stared at the unsent message on Chi Yin’s phone, feeling a mix of emotions.

[You didn’t eat much. Want to come over and have a little more?]

Oh no, this misunderstanding just got bigger. Chi Yin genuinely meant well, but she thought she was being flirty. She felt guilty, like she deserved to be punished!

With her hands pressed together, Qiao Ziman bowed deeply to Chi Yin, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! It was all a misunderstanding.”

Chi Yin responded casually with an “Mm.” “Can I sleep now? My body clock is set.”

“Go ahead, go ahead,” Qiao Ziman said, lying down beside her. She looked at Chi Yin’s side profile in the faint light from the window, blinking with anticipation.

Chi Yin suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of peace. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Qiao Ziman slowly closed her eyes, but not before reminding her, “There’s an air conditioner remote and some mosquito repellent on the nightstand next to you. Help yourself if you need anything.”

With those final words, Qiao Ziman drifted into sleep. In her dreams, she found herself wrapped in soft clouds, smelling of lily-of-the-valley. She was utterly immersed. Before long, those pure white clouds turned into fluffy, sweet-smelling cotton candy. She couldn’t resist picking them.

Just as she was indulging in her dream feast, a sudden, urgent phone ringtone yanked her back to reality. She opened her eyes and was immediately met with Chi Yin’s face, just inches away.

Startled, Qiao Ziman realized she was nestled in Chi Yin’s arms. She felt a warmth on her lips and her gaze dropped.

To her surprise, her eyes landed on Chi Yin’s graceful neck, marked with faint red traces. Hanging around it was a delicate, glistening silver chain.

!!!

Could those be… love bites?

Qiao Ziman panicked, quickly reaching for a tissue on the nightstand to wipe away the drool. In her haste, she made too much noise, and Chi Yin slowly woke up.

Chi Yin noticed her fumbling and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Qiao Ziman forced an awkward smile. “Can you promise me something? Please, whatever you do, don’t look in the mirror.”

But before she could stop him, Chi Yin grabbed her phone and used the screen to check her reflection, her face filled with confusion.

Qiao Ziman felt like crying. “If I say I have no idea what happened, would you believe me?”

Chi Yin shook his head, looking utterly clueless.

What kind of expression was that? She looked like she’d been wronged!

Right then, that cursed ringtone started blaring again.

“Good luck to you, wishing you good luck~”

Qiao Ziman’s mind was in chaos. And the person calling her just wouldn’t give up. With no other choice, she leaned over Chi Yin to grab her phone from the other side of the bed. Ji Yun’s nosy voice came through, “Hey, is Qiao Qiao awake? Are you still with President Chi?”

Qiao Ziman was furious. “Yes, yes, we’re together. Do you have something urgent or not? If not, hang up. Do you even know what time it is?”

Still feeling weak from last night’s drinking, Qiao Ziman lost her balance and ended up collapsing on top of Chi Yin. Their bodies pressed tightly together, causing Chi Yin to grunt softly in pain.

From the phone came a startled voice, “Am I interrupting something?”

Qiao Ziman quickly hung up and looked down at Chi Yin beneath her. “If I say I’m straight, would you believe me?”

Seeing the look on Chi Yin’s face, she continued, “What kind of expression is that? Heaven knows, I’m really straight! At most, I’m just… a little pervy.”

Chi Yin remained unmoved, so Qiao Ziman, feeling desperate, tugged at her collar. “Or… do you want to kiss me back?”