Chapter 21.1

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Qiao Ziman briefly explained the situation.

Ji Yun made a phone call, but Ms. Chi’s rank was too high to reach.

“Are you done yet? Stop laughing,” Qiao Ziman said, her head hanging in exhaustion, completely drained.

Ji Yun teased, “So, it turns out you’re a straight girl who’s directly into girls, huh?”

Qiao Ziman lifted her head, her tone becoming serious and earnest, “I’m not in the mood to joke around right now. I’ve lived for 26 years and have never liked a woman. I do like Chi Yin, but only as a friend. I worry about her, I feel for her, and I care about her feelings and thoughts, but if it were you, I’d do the same—there’s no difference. Do you understand what I mean? So, I need to explain this to her clearly, or it will affect our friendship.”

Ji Yun paused for a moment and then replied, “Got it.” But then she added, “But Qiaoqiao, you’ve never liked a man either, have you?”

Qiao Ziman: “…”

“Auntie has introduced so many blind date candidates to you. They can’t all be weirdos, right? I haven’t seen you take a liking to any of them. You know, Auntie won’t give up anytime soon. Why not give President Chi a try? First of all, she’s easy on the eyes and knows how to dress, providing emotional value just from the visual alone. Second, she earns money and takes care of the household. She’s a beautiful, capable, modern woman of the new era who can both look stunning and support a family. You won’t find someone like that easily, even with a lantern!”

Qiao Ziman: “…” In just a few sentences, she had already started joking again.

“Try it? I wouldn’t do something so irresponsible.”

At that moment, Xiao Jing came out of President Chi’s office and called out, “Qiao Jie, President Chi wants to see you.”

Qiao Ziman responded with an “Okay,” then turned her head, gritting her teeth, and said to Ji Yun, “Instead of saying these unreliable things, why don’t you consider whether President Chi will be so terrified by my actions that she’ll kick me out of the company and the apartment.”

Qiao Ziman knocked on the door cautiously. Upon hearing a “Come in,” she straightened her clothes, put on an overly serious expression, and pushed the door open.

Today, Chi Yin was wearing an elegant, conservative-style dark green silk blouse, buttoned all the way up. Her long hair was neatly pinned up, and she had a pair of silver-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She sat in front of the computer, focused and serious.

Qiao Ziman nervously swallowed hard.

“Qiao Ziman.”

Qiao Ziman stood up straight, “Here!”

“How long are you planning to stand at the door?”

With a sheepish smile, Qiao Ziman quickly walked over. “President Chi.”

Chi Yin acknowledged her with a simple “Mm” and continued to work on her emails, naturally leaving Qiao Ziman to the side.

This scene felt strangely familiar.

Qiao Ziman thought back for a moment. It seemed that the first time Chi Yin had called her into the office, she had also experienced the “treated like air” routine. At that time… it was Chi Yin’s way of deliberately getting back at her.

So now…

Qiao Ziman finally understood. She turned around, locked the office door, and when she turned back, she saw Chi Yin looking at her with confusion. Qiao Ziman pointed at herself and then at the door. “Chi Yin… I’m just worried someone might barge in unexpectedly.”

Chi Yin’s expression gradually turned to one of alarm, her voice rising sharply, “Qiao Ziman, what exactly are you trying to do? This is the office—mind your actions.”

Qiao Ziman suddenly remembered the words she had said not long ago when she misunderstood Chi Yin and her friend. Now, it seemed like the tables had turned, and Chi Yin was giving it all back to her, word for word.

Sigh, being misunderstood really was a terrible feeling.

“Chi Yin,” Qiao Ziman tried to explain weakly, “I just wanted to clarify something that might have confused you, that’s all.”

Chi Yin stared at her for a moment, as if seriously evaluating the credibility of Qiao Ziman’s words. After a brief pause, her gaze returned to the computer, and she said calmly, “It’s work hours.”

Qiao Ziman: “…”

That one sentence choked back all the words Qiao Ziman had wanted to say. It also felt as if it had reset the relationship they had slowly built over the past while, back to square one. In that moment, Qiao Ziman felt a sharp, stinging pain spreading throughout her chest. She lowered her eyes and murmured softly, “Understood, President Chi.”

Chi Yin took off her glasses, her expression softening a bit. She tapped her fingers on the desk and pointed at the report in front of her. “Why the long face? Work is work. If there’s anything personal, we can discuss it at home.”

At home? Qiao Ziman’s eyes lit up instantly with surprise and joy.

“By the way, Lu Yu has been caught. My lawyer has already filed charges. With defamation and intentional harm, there’s no escaping prison time. Are you satisfied with that outcome?”

So, Chi Yin did care about her after all. The gloom in Qiao Ziman’s heart completely vanished, and she beamed, “Yes, I’m satisfied.”

“The second thing: the three projects you’re overseeing have shown great preliminary results in the trial operations. The company is very pleased. When they officially launch in September, we’ve decided to award you a bonus. And there’s another piece of good news, but I’ll let you know about that later. Oh, and regarding the team-building event at the end of August, I’m leaving that to you. You can choose the location, and don’t worry about the budget.”

Qiao Ziman’s eyes practically sparkled at the mention of a bonus, and she couldn’t stop smiling. However, she remained modest. “I have to thank President Chi for giving me the opportunity to learn.”

After leaving the office, Qiao Ziman began planning a surprise for Chi Yin. Not just as a thank you for the good news, but more importantly, to strengthen their relationship as landlord and tenant. Qiao Ziman went to the supermarket after work and bought a variety of ingredients, including Chi Yin’s favorite—strawberries.

Once she got home, she immediately dove into the kitchen to start preparing. She had consulted several recipes and even called Aunt Xu, the owner of a local barbecue restaurant, for some tips. After more than an hour of hard work, she had managed to cook up a few dishes that looked pretty impressive. She made sure to keep the flavors light, knowing that’s what Chi Yin preferred.

Qiao Ziman was quite pleased with herself, feeling confident that Chi Yin would at least give her a score of 90 out of 100. She prepared a bottle of red wine, washed the fruit, and then settled on the couch, quietly waiting for Chi Yin.