Chapter 23.2

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“Today is my sister’s birthday. Can you help me convince her to come home with me?” Jiang Shu asked.

Qiao Ziman shot up from the sofa in surprise. “What? It’s Chi Yin’s birthday? What a coincidence!” There’s nothing more exciting than sharing the same birthday as a friend.

Jiang Shu, seeing Qiao Ziman’s expression, thought this was going to be easy. To her surprise, Qiao Ziman immediately refused.

“No.”

“Why not?” Jiang Shu asked, confused.

Qiao Ziman responded seriously, “Why should I? If she wants to go, she will. If she doesn’t, she won’t. In life, everything follows what you ‘like.’” Besides, Chi Yin had mentioned before that her relationship with her parents wasn’t great.

At that moment, Chi Yin’s voice appeared from the doorway. “Exactly.”

“Jie!” Jiang Shu ran over but stopped about a meter away, nervously tugging at the hem of her shirt. “You promised me…”

Chi Yin showed little emotion as she responded calmly, “I know.”

She then glanced at Qiao Ziman, who was standing by the sofa with an excited expression, and her face softened slightly. “Happy birthday.”

“You too,” Qiao Ziman hesitated, then asked, “Are you going to spend the evening with me? We could celebrate together.”

Both Jiang Shu and Qiao Ziman turned their expectant eyes toward Chi Yin, waiting for her decision.

Her birthday? Chi Yin let out a self-deprecating smile. Perhaps, to her, birthdays had never held any real meaning. They felt more like a cruel joke.

Her thoughts drifted back to her childhood.

It was sunset, at a crossroads.

Her mother and father were locked in a fierce argument—about her.

Chi Qilan: “How could I have been so blind to marry a worthless, spineless man like you? You don’t even have the courage to take responsibility for raising your own child after the divorce.”

Father: “You have no right to blame me! How selfish can you be? Is keeping Xiaoyin with you really getting in the way of your career, or is it just stopping you from finding another man?”

Chi Qilan: “I’m just too busy to take care of Xiaoyin right now! It’s not like I don’t want her. I’m in the peak phase of my career. Why can’t you understand that?”

Chi Qilan: “Pathetic. You had the guts to cheat, but not to raise your own daughter?”

In the end, both of them stormed off in different directions, leaving little Chi Yin standing there, confused and helpless, like a discarded doll.

That day had also been her birthday.

Chi Yin smiled bitterly. But when she met Qiao Ziman’s expectant gaze, something inside her softened. The words she often used—“I’m not used to it”—stayed lodged in her throat, unspoken.

“Maybe later tonight. I’ll message you when I’m free,” Chi Yin said to Qiao Ziman, then turned to Jiang Shu. “I promised you, didn’t I? Let’s go.”

Jiang Shu happily gathered her test papers, waved to Qiao Ziman, and cheerfully called out, “Bye, sister-in-law!”

Chi Yin stumbled, nearly crashing into the office door in embarrassment.

Qiao Ziman, clearly accustomed to the sisters’ habit of saying outrageous things, laughed unrestrainedly. “Hahaha! Bye-bye! And make sure to take good care of your sister, alright, little sister-in-law?”

“Got it, sis!” Jiang Shu responded, while Chi Yin hurriedly covered her mouth and dragged her out of the office.

Once they were outside, Chi Yin let go and scolded her, “You and your big mouth!”

Jiang Shu playfully spun around her, teasing, “Sister, you should really wipe that smile off your face.”

Suddenly, Jiang Shu stopped, acting all grown-up as she nodded seriously. “I approve of this marriage.”

Chi Yin could only smile helplessly and ruffled her hair. “Next time, don’t call her that. You’ll scare her off. We’re not even together yet.”

Jiang Shu pouted, “Fine, I get it.”

Chi Yin, watching Jiang Shu carefully out of the corner of her eye, casually asked, “So, what do you think of her?”

Jiang Shu earnestly counted on her fingers, “She’s very pretty and matches you well, sister. She’s warm and sincere, and she teaches me things, just like you do. Oh, and she didn’t know how to solve that simple math problem, so she must be easy to fool.”

She grinned mischievously. “So, go for it, sister—convince her to come home with you!”

Chi Yin: “…”

Chi Yin couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her mood instantly lightened. The two shared a rare moment of joy as they made their way home, filled with laughter.

But as soon as Chi Yin stepped through the door and saw Chi Qilan, her good mood evaporated.

Chi Qilan sat in a wheelchair, a drip needle still attached to her hand. The strong, capable woman she remembered now looked frail, almost pitiful.

Perhaps it was the bond of blood, but something heavy and soft settled in Chi Yin’s chest, like cotton stuffing her heart.

“What happened to you?” Chi Yin asked, her voice low.

Before Chi Qilan could respond, a slightly chubby man eagerly stepped forward. “Xiaoyin, you’re back! Your mom just had a minor surgery—nothing serious.”

Chi Yin gave her mother a cool glance, then politely nodded at the man. “Uncle Jiang.”

The man scratched his head awkwardly and turned to Jiang Shu. “What are you standing there for? Go grab your sister some slippers!”

“Oh, oh, oh,” Jiang Shu replied quickly, running into the house. “Sister, can you wear my slippers?”

Chi Yin said nothing, silently taking in her surroundings. A family photo of three hung on the wall, sets of matching household items, and a table full of food, most of which contained the one thing she hated—chili peppers.

And then there was the birthday cake, with a candle in the shape of the number 27.

Has Chi Qilan even remembered that her ID card lists her as a year older than she actually is?

Chi Yin’s expression darkened instantly, and her voice turned cold. “I promised Xiao Shu I would come and take a look, and now I’ve done that. I’m leaving. I don’t celebrate birthdays, so I won’t be having the cake.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Behind her, Jiang Shu’s panicked voice called out, “Sister, don’t go…”

And then came Chi Qilan’s furious outburst, “Stop right there!”

“Yes, I owe you, and yes, I wronged you, but I’m still your mother! Do you really need to hold a grudge for over ten years because of that one thing?”

Chi Yin halted in her tracks, casting a cold glance over her shoulder. Without a shred of emotion, she asked, “So, why exactly did you ask me to come back today? Why didn’t you tell me you were having surgery before I started working at your company? Is it because you were afraid I’d worry? Or were you using ‘what’s best for me’ as an excuse to keep me working at your company, turning me into your tool?”

Chi Qilan shouted angrily, “Chi Yin! What’s so bad about staying in my company? I invested so much in you, sent you to study at a top university abroad, and how did you repay me? By cutting off all contact! Fine, even if you had stayed abroad working for a big game company, I wouldn’t have said anything. But why quit? Why come back to open a shabby restaurant and bar? Are you trying to be like your worthless father, ending up as a nobody?”

“Enough, Qilan! Have you forgotten what today is?” the man beside her interjected.

“Mom, why are you talking to sister like that? She’s amazing,” Jiang Shu chimed in, trying to defend her.

Her father and daughter tried to calm Chi Qilan from either side, but Chi Yin merely let out a cold laugh. “What I become has nothing to do with you. After going abroad, I never took a penny from you. I lived in a basement, ate stale bread, worked multiple jobs—all of it, I got through on my own. So why shouldn’t I have the right to make my own choices?”

With that, Chi Yin turned on her heel, ready to leave.

“Stop!” Chi Qilan called after her again. “Are you in love with that girl, Qiao Ziman?”

Author’s Note:
Chi Yin: Waiting for my wife to come home and comfort me.

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