Chapter 20.2

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Qiao Ziman replied with a smile: [Thank you.]

Since the topic of drinking had come up, Qiao Ziman suddenly wanted to confirm something, but she wasn’t sure how to ask directly. If she were to ask something like, “Did I used to get frisky after drinking?” it would be like admitting something. She was sure He Cuizhen would immediately come over.

Qiao Ziman didn’t have the courage for that. After thinking for a moment, she decided to phrase it more vaguely.

She typed: [Mom, what do you think about my sleeping habits?]

With quick fingers, she followed up: [Mom, do you think I tend to snuggle up to people while I sleep?]

Her fingers were a blur: [Mom, I mean, if there were a beautiful person sleeping next to me, would I get handsy?]

Silence.

Silence was the theme of the night. Just as she thought her mom had fallen asleep, her phone buzzed twice. Qiao Ziman checked it, and He Cuizhen had sent just one emoji: [😊]

If it were anyone else, that emoji might suggest a question, but He Cuizhen—she knew her too well. It could only mean one thing: —”Don’t you know what kind of person you are?”

With that, Qiao Ziman’s last shred of hope was dashed, leaving her utterly dejected and unable to sleep. As the night deepened, after hours of internal struggle, Qiao Ziman made a somewhat embarrassing decision. She took the pillow and blanket that Chi Yin had used the night before and hugged them close.

With the lingering scent of lilies of the valley, Qiao Ziman slowly closed her eyes.

The next morning, Chi Yin flew abroad with key staff from various branches. Finally, Qiao Ziman didn’t have to spin around Chi Yin like a top. She enjoyed a leisurely coffee, sorted through some work files, and made revisions to her drafts.

As noon approached, Qiao Ziman timed a message to Ji Yun.

[Did you arrive safely?]

Ji Yun replied ten minutes later:

[Just dropped off the luggage at the hotel. Heading out for a meal now, then I’ll rest and adjust to the time difference.]

Before Qiao Ziman could respond, Ji Yun called her on a video chat. “Qiao Qiao, what’s up?”

Ji Yun slightly adjusted her phone, just in time to capture Chi Yin chatting and laughing with two foreigners nearby. She teased, “Still curious about your President Chi?”

“What about her?” Qiao Ziman shot Ji Yun a glare, turned to avoid her colleagues’ eyes, and gritted her teeth, “Why would I ask about her?”

Ji Yun responded with a knowing “Oh,” and said, “I’ll hang up then.”

“Wait, wait a second.”

Ji Yun raised an eyebrow, “Hmm?”

Qiao Ziman grabbed her bag, moved to the corner of the hallway, and said hesitantly, “So, how’s President Chi’s mood? Has she asked about me?”

Ji Yun had a “I knew it” look on her face.

“She seems in a great mood. Didn’t you see? She was all smiles and laughter. Of course,” she paused, “she didn’t ask about you.”

Qiao Ziman felt a bit inexplicably disappointed. She looked down at the stairs, took a deep breath, and said, “Um, could you keep an eye on her for me? Her stomach isn’t great, so don’t let her drink too much, and no extra ice in her coffee.”

Ji Yun: “…”

“Keep an eye on her shoulders. Don’t let her lift heavy objects for the next few days. The doctor prescribed an ointment that needs to be applied twice daily, morning and night. Make sure she doesn’t catch a chill; it would be troublesome if she developed a chronic condition. Ok?”

Ji Yun clicked her tongue twice and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Qiao Qiao, do you not have a mouth? Or do you and I not have WeChat? Am I just a messenger?”

Qiao Ziman, flustered, said, “I’m just worried she might overthink things!!! Are you still my friend or not?”

Ji Yun: “.” It’s obvious who’s confused but not saying it out loud. “Alright, hold on a sec.”

Ji Yun disappeared from the screen, and the camera shook. The next second, Chi Yin’s face filled the screen.

Ji Yun’s voice came from off-screen. “You say it yourself,” she raised her voice, “President Chi, Qiao Qiao has something to say to you.”

Qiao Ziman: “!!!” That traitor! I’m done with her!

Chi Yin adjusted the angle and straightened her face. “What’s up?”

Before Qiao Ziman could closely examine her face, the lingering red marks on her neck caught her eye.

How painful! How glaring!

Couldn’t she at least cover it up a bit!

In her desperation, Qiao Ziman raised her phone high and said, “Hello, hello, hello. Bad signal, hanging up!”

With a “click,” the call ended. The series of actions was as smooth and swift as lightning. Afterward, she typed out an 800-word essay, deeply condemning Ji Yun’s act of betrayal.

At lunchtime, Qiao Ziman had a quick bite and then went to the 4S shop to pick up her serviced car. She then drove to meet with the rental agency. The two had agreed to meet at “Jili Real Estate Agency” the night before.

Qiao Ziman followed the navigation, turning this way and that, eventually ending up in a narrow alley. The navigation said she had arrived at her destination.

After struggling to find a parking spot, she got out of the car and looked around. With her 5’3″ vision, she finally located the small, hidden agency with half its sign paint peeling off after five minutes. Is this place reliable?

Qiao Ziman began to doubt herself. Nervously, she pushed open the door and said, “Hello.”

As soon as she spoke, she was choked by the mixture of smoke and greasy food smells from inside, causing her to retreat several steps. There were only two people working in the shop. One young man, smoking a cigarette, didn’t even lift his eyes when he heard her voice. “Who are you looking for?”

Qiao Ziman pinched her nose, enduring the discomfort. “I’m looking for the agent named Wang. We have an appointment to view a house.”

“Oh, Brother Wang,” the young man immediately changed his demeanor, bringing over a cup of water. “Our manager went out to get lunch. Can you wait a moment?”

Qiao Ziman looked at the not-so-clean glass, with a few unknown black specks floating in the water. Her stomach churned, and she didn’t want to stay another second. She stood up to leave. But as soon as she stepped outside, she was blocked by a wall of flesh.

An oily white shirt, a prominently protruding belly, and a hand holding skewers with two gold rings. Why does this look somewhat familiar?

The wall of flesh spoke first. “Qiao Ziman?”

Damn it, she remembered. If she recalled correctly, this was her previous blind date—the very person responsible for the fallout with Chi Yin.

The bite marks under her bandage throbbed with pain, and she snapped, “What are you doing here again?”

Wang Hongwei’s expression was smug, as if he wanted to engrave the words “Finally, it’s in my hands” on his forehead. Qiao Ziman was caught between “enduring for a while to find a good deal on a house” and “forget it, I’m not dealing with this guy.”

At that moment, Wang Hongwei noticed the BMW car key in her hand. His eyes first widened in surprise, then flashed with a hint of greed. “The house you were interested in? The landlord changed their mind. It was originally $3,500; now they won’t rent it for less than $5,000. Well, it’s the only one available. Whether you rent it or not is up to you.”

Raising the price like that—such an outrageous move. Qiao Ziman decided to go with the latter. Forget it, I’m not dealing with this guy.

She flung her bag over her shoulder, hitting Wang Hongwei in the face, pushed open the door, and said, “Keep it, and I hope this crappy place goes out of business soon.”

Wang Hongwei ran after her, blocking her way. “Don’t go. You can afford it with a BMW. Is your car a rental? There’s another option: you could be with me, and I’ll sort out your accommodation. I think if you change your attitude a bit, you could still be worth it.”

Qiao Ziman jumped into her car and slammed the door shut. But the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She got out of the car again, stood in front of Wang Hongwei with a fierce demeanor, and said, “Wait a minute. Didn’t you say before that you worked for a real estate company? And now you’re dealing with rentals? This is the first time I’ve seen someone so full of themselves. I can’t even tell if you or your big belly is more full of it.”

“A gold-plated toilet is still just a toilet.”

Having delivered her final line, Qiao Ziman was satisfied as she slammed the car door and drove away. She was pleased with how she’d handled the situation. Back at the office, Qiao Ziman sent a WeChat message to Ji Yun detailing the bizarre incident. On Ji Yun’s end, the dinner party had just concluded.

She sent a voice message. When Qiao Ziman opened it, she couldn’t help but laugh at Ji Yun’s uncontrollable amusement. It wasn’t until five minutes later that Ji Yun sent another message.

[So what now?]

Qiao Ziman was too lazy to reply. Ji Yun sent another message.

[Why not consider the place Auntie mentioned? What if it’s actually good?]

Wait a minute, how does Ji Yun know about this? Qiao Ziman started to have doubts.

[Did you tell my mom about my plans to move?]

Ji Yun: [ . ]

A few minutes later, Ji Yun sent a string of messages. She explained: [Auntie asked how you were doing recently, and I accidentally let it slip. But don’t worry, I didn’t mention Lu Yu at all.]

No wonder He Cuizhen seemed like a timely help. Qiao Ziman thought it was just a coincidence before. Now she understood.

[Alright, I’ll check it out when I have time.]

Just as Qiao Ziman sent this message, He Cuizhen immediately sent over the specific address and gate code. Qiao Ziman thought to herself, Ji Yun is such a blabbermouth—she’s not telling her anything in the future.

He Cuizhen sent another message: [If you find it suitable, you can move in first. The contract can be sorted out later when you return. It doesn’t matter to me.]

“Doesn’t matter, huh?”

Is she really that easygoing? Could this be a trap? Qiao Ziman wondered if she might be dealing with a creep. After an afternoon of careful thought, she decided to give her unreliable mom a chance.