Chapter 20.1

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Chi Yin’s arm encircled Qiao Ziman’s neck, pulling her closer once more. “Are you sure?” Chi Yin’s voice was steady.

Qiao Ziman’s voice trembled with nervousness. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Before she could finish her response, soft lips and warm breath descended upon her neck. The sensation was ticklish, like a feather brushing against her heart, causing a shiver to ripple through her.

Chi Yin tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Qiao Ziman’s eyes. “Is this how you steal kisses from me? And that ‘like’ you mentioned last night, you weren’t serious about it, were you?”

Qiao Ziman’s reaction was intense. She struggled to get up. “What do you mean, ‘steal kisses’? I was just being reckless because of the alcohol. Ugh, no, I mean, I was just a bit uninhibited because of the alcohol. I promise I won’t drink again. If I do, I’ll be a dog. Please, can you forgive me?” She was not just on the verge of tears; she felt as though she might collapse from embarrassment and regret.

“I swear, I don’t like you—oh no, that’s not what I meant. I don’t like you in that way,” Qiao Ziman floundered, her explanations growing more tangled. Eventually, she threw up her hands in defeat. “I’m tired and done with this. Just do whatever you want.”

Chi Yin moved closer again, her warm lips returning for another kiss.

Suddenly, a sharp pain on her neck made Qiao Ziman spring up from the bed in disbelief. “Why did you bite me? Chi Yin, are you part dog or something?”

“And then?” Ji Yun, propped up on her chin, was utterly engrossed.

Qiao Ziman looked around furtively, scanning her surroundings.

Ji Yun, puzzled, asked, “What are you looking for?”

Qiao Ziman took a sip of her coffee, leaning back in her chair with a resigned sigh. “Nothing. After all, someone always seems to appear out of nowhere.”

Ji Yun made a blunt observation, “You mean President Chi?”

Qiao Ziman jumped up from her chair like a startled deer, her eyes wide with panic. “Where? Where? Where?”

Ji Yun was exasperated. “Seriously, Qiao Qiao, why have you become so jumpy?”

She had thought the noises she heard during that morning’s call were something else entirely and was nearly scared out of her wits. It turned out to be nothing more than this. “You’re making a big fuss about nothing. And then you just ran away? No, wait. It was your house—why did you run?”

Qiao Ziman touched the conspicuous bandage on her neck and sighed, “You don’t understand. Avoidance, though shameful, is effective.”

Ji Yun stirred her coffee, murmuring, “You two are bound to end up sleeping together sooner or later.”

The sound of a passing water truck outside the café drowned out Ji Yun’s words, so Qiao Ziman asked, “What about sleeping?”

“It’s nothing,” Ji Yun replied with a dismissive tone. “I just meant you didn’t really sleep together. It’s not a big deal; it’s just the prelude. No need to worry about it, okay?”

If this had been a day ago, Qiao Ziman might have taken her words to heart. But last night, Chi Yin’s image had abruptly shifted from a flirtatious woman to an innocent, pure-hearted soul with zero romantic experience.

Not only had she kissed and nibbled on her, but she had also pounced on her like a wolf. It was as if she had never seen a woman before.

What to do? Qiao Ziman felt tears welling up again.

She grabbed Ji Yun’s hand, her eyes full of tears. “I’m afraid she might take it seriously.”

Ji Yun chuckled inwardly. “And what should you do about it?”

The best strategy, Qiao Ziman decided, was to run. For now, the plan was to let things cool down for a few days. Qiao Ziman hoped that Chi Yin, the innocent flower, would forget about the incident, and everything would return to normal. All would be well.

Qiao Ziman spent the morning idly at the café and then wandered through other departments in the afternoon, managing to avoid running into Chi Yin all day.

After work, Qiao Ziman returned to her rented apartment. As soon as she opened the iron security door, she nearly thought she had entered the wrong place.

It wasn’t just refreshed; it was like a completely different home. The kitchen gleamed with cleanliness, the cluttered hallway was now neatly organized, and every space was utilized efficiently. Even the clothes in the wardrobe were labeled by season.

Qiao Ziman stood there in stunned silence. She mentally gave Chi Yin a thumbs up. It was no wonder she had a reputation for being obsessive about cleanliness. As Qiao Ziman strolled around, marveling at the transformation, her peripheral vision accidentally caught sight of something on the balcony.

Her eyes widened in shock.

How did an extra set of lingerie, which clearly didn’t belong to her, end up there? Black, sensual, lacey bras and thong panties.

!!!

Wait, did she wear someone else’s lingerie? They weren’t her size. Did someone have to endure an entire day in them? Or had they just been hanging out in the open?

Qiao Ziman was perplexed and horrified.

！！！

That woman was truly exasperating.

Qiao Ziman hurriedly reached for her phone and tapped Chi Yin’s contact, but her finger suddenly hesitated. Weren’t they supposed to keep their distance? Now, she was rushing to check on her, which clearly could lead to misunderstandings. It was already hard enough to explain everything.

Besides, Chi Yin was innocent, not foolish. There was no need for her to overreact.

Qiao Ziman quickly turned off the screen and tossed her phone far away, preferring to avoid the problem altogether. She then headed straight into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, the steam quickly filled the small, confined space, and soon the glass was covered in layers of white mist.

Qiao Ziman stripped off all her clothes and stood barefoot under the showerhead. The warm water cascaded down, washing away the day’s fatigue and those elusive worries. In the misty white haze, she relaxed both physically and mentally, even humming a cheerful tune.

After finishing her shower, Qiao Ziman poured herself a glass of milk and prepared to take a melatonin tablet. She approached the nightstand to find her medication bottle, but to her surprise, the bottle was nowhere to be found. In its place was a sticky note.

Qiao Ziman picked it up and read it. The note was written in elegant handwriting:

[Melatonin can be harmful to your body. If you can’t sleep, give me a call.]

Signed, Chi Yin.

Qiao Ziman couldn’t believe Chi Yin had taken it upon herself to dictate her life. And to think, she really saw herself as a panacea. Determined to prove her wrong, Qiao Ziman adjusted the room’s lights to the dimmest setting, set the air conditioning to 26 degrees, and nestled into her blankets, trying to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour—Qiao Ziman tossed and turned. Another half hour later, she flipped over again and stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. Frustration built up inside her. Was she really going to have to contact that woman?

Hesitantly, Qiao Ziman pulled out her phone. Before she could even light up the screen, the phone buzzed with two vibrations. The sudden vibrations made her hands tingle and her heart race.

Were she and Chi Yin really that in sync?

Narrowing her eyes, she unlocked her phone. Seeing that the message was from her mother, He Cuizhen, Qiao Ziman instinctively let out a sigh of relief.

[He Cuizhen: Have you been looking for a new place recently?]

Qiao Ziman had mentioned moving to her mother before, and she had no intention of hiding it this time. She quickly sent her mother the details of the property she had been considering.

[Picture: 3 stops from the company, north-facing, warm in winter and cool in summer, one bedroom and one living room, well-decorated, move-in ready, 3,500. The key point is you can pay one month’s rent and one month’s deposit. I think the price can be negotiated a bit.]

He Cuizhen: [Is this all?]

Qiao Ziman: [???]

What does that mean?

He Cuizhen: [I found you a better one. (Proud.jpg)]

[Location: 500 meters from your company, 220 square meters of super luxurious house, fully equipped with appliances, move-in ready, with a walk-in closet, massage bathtub, panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bustling city center at night. The landlord is beautiful, has a sweet voice, and will take good care of you. It’s a great deal.]

Qiao Ziman: [??]

Qiao Ziman took a sip of milk from the nightstand and slowly typed, [Mom, you seem like a real estate agent.]

He Cuizhen: [60-second voice message.]

Qiao Ziman automatically ignored her mother’s verbal barrage and continued typing, [Mom, I don’t have the money!]

It’s not that she was foolish; of course, a big house would be nice, but practical considerations came into play. A property of that quality would cost at least 10,000 a month, right?

[Mom, you might as well sell me off.]

“Whoosh.”

He Cuizhen replied with a message.

[Shared rental, cheaper.]

Shared rental? Qiao Ziman wasn’t opposed to it, but with her early mornings and late nights, it would be difficult to sync up with a roommate. Plus, she had a cat that was both prone to shedding and a bit of a troublemaker.

Qiao Ziman asked: [Do they accept pets? And what’s the living schedule of the other housemates?]

He Cuizhen: [Don’t worry about that, they say they can get used to it.]

This sounded oddly familiar.

He Cuizhen followed up with: [The price is similar to the one you’re looking at, and I think it’s still negotiable.]

Qiao Ziman: [.]

She would have believed it if it were a bit more expensive.

[Dear Mom, where did you find this information?]

He Cuizhen: [On my friends’ circle.]

Qiao Ziman straightened up, typed carefully, and said: [Mom, stop adding strangers on WeChat, and don’t join groups. Scammers love targeting older people like you.]

He Cuizhen: [60s voice message.]

Qiao Ziman thought that when she went back home, she would definitely delete all those shady course-selling and welfare group chats from her mother’s phone, along with the friends starting with ‘A.’

She quickly booked a house viewing appointment for the next noon with the rental agent who was online.

He Cuizhen’s avatar lit up with a new message.

[How’s the insomnia? Try to take less medication and drink less alcohol.]

Why bring that up now?

“Buzz.”

[Finding a roommate would make Mom feel more at ease; I don’t want you to die alone in a rental apartment without anyone finding out.]

Qiao Ziman finally understood where her bluntness came from.