Chapter 27.1

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The restaurant was packed, bustling with noise and laughter. Guests were chatting, toasting, and enjoying themselves, contributing to the lively atmosphere. But for Qiao Ziman, it was like someone had hit the pause button. She was frozen in place, her mind a chaotic mess.

Why?! Why does this kind of awkward situation keep happening to me, over and over again? Why does every time I decide to just be friends, I get smacked in the face by reality? Damn you, heavens!

She forced a smile, though inwardly she was screaming. She asked, “So… why are you here? Why do you always just happen to be around? Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence!”

“I’m the owner of this restaurant.”

Qiao Ziman’s eyes widened in shock. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” If she’d known, she’d have never set up her blind date here!

“You didn’t ask.”

Qiao Ziman: “…” Touché. I messed up. Ugh, so frustrating!

Not far away, Chi Yin stood with her arms crossed, staring directly at her, waiting for an explanation. Qiao Ziman, feeling defeated, threw up her hands. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”

Chi Yin nodded.

Fine, whatever. She could only laugh bitterly at this point.

“And?” Chi Yin gestured toward herself, her eyes filled with curiosity. What about this “girlfriend” thing?

Qiao Ziman, feeling utterly humiliated, snapped, “What are you asking for? Yes, that’s right, I was talking about you! Happy now?” She grabbed her bag and, with as much fake composure as she could muster under Chi Yin’s watchful gaze, walked out of the restaurant.

She strode down the street, keeping her pace steady, only speeding up once she turned the corner and the restaurant was out of sight. Then she practically ran, unable to stop her legs from moving faster. It wasn’t that she wanted to run away—her body just refused to cooperate. This wasn’t like the misunderstandings from before. This time, she had really gone too far. She had seriously messed up.

Back in her dimly lit, cramped apartment in the old neighborhood, Qiao Ziman slumped onto her bed, defeated. She stared blankly at the few roses sitting on the small table in front of her, muttering to herself like someone in a daze. “Oh great God of Wealth, I am your most devout disciple. So devoted that when I prayed at the temple of the Matchmaker, I only asked for my red string of fate to be tied to yours. You remember me, right?”

“Please, guide your lost disciple,” she continued, clasping her hands in prayer and bowing three times toward the ceiling.

“God of Wealth, do you think if I confess to Chi Yin that I only called her my girlfriend to deal with my mom, she’d believe me?” Qiao Ziman sighed, picking up one of the roses and absentmindedly began plucking its petals, as if the flower could somehow give her the answer.

“She’ll believe.”
“She won’t believe.”
“She’ll believe.”
“She won’t believe.”

When the final petal fell, Qiao Ziman stared at the bare stem, feeling utterly defeated and on the verge of tears. “I knew it! Of course, she won’t believe me!” she wailed. Who in their right mind would? She thought about it—there’s no way anyone would buy such a far-fetched story. Even she wouldn’t believe it if it were someone else.

Her gaze shifted to the remaining two roses on the table. They were her last bit of hope. “What will she think about this whole situation?” Qiao Ziman muttered, recalling the last time she had dreamt of kissing Chi Yin or the time she had thrown herself onto her. Chi Yin had been pretty upset on both occasions.

Qiao Ziman raised one of the remaining roses and bowed to the air. “Will Chi Yin still want to be friends with me? This is really important,” she said, her voice tinged with desperation. She plucked another petal.

“She will.”
“She won’t.”

“AAAAAH! Why won’t she?!” Qiao Ziman cried in frustration. “Damn you, heavens!”

The sound of a window creaking open below caught her attention. A neighbor stuck their head out and shouted, “Hey! What’s all the racket up there? It’s the middle of the night! Some of us are trying to sleep!”

“Good job, this is all karma for running my mouth today,” Qiao Ziman muttered to herself. Then she called out, “Bro, why don’t you curse me out a little more?”

The neighbor responded, “Are you crazy?”

Qiao Ziman glanced at the last rose. With caution, she asked, “Hypothetically speaking, even if she believed me, would she, out of spite, tell my mom that I lied to her?”

If that happens, He Cuizhen will definitely kill me. The mere thought made Qiao Ziman shudder. Maybe it’s better if she doesn’t believe me…

“She will.”
“She won’t.”

A minute later, Qiao Ziman lay helplessly on the pile of scattered rose petals, feeling utterly defeated. All hope is lost.

Just then, her phone buzzed on the table. She turned her head stiffly, reaching out for it. Unlocking the screen, she froze in shock when she saw two big characters pop up: Chi Yin.

Startled, Qiao Ziman yelped and reflexively tossed the phone away. Wait a minute, why am I freaking out? After all, I was the one who confessed to her. Shouldn’t she be the one feeling nervous?

With that thought, her confidence grew, and she suddenly felt three times braver. Qiao Ziman picked up her phone and checked the message.

[Where are you? Still not coming back?]

Go back? No way she was going back. She quickly typed a reply: [Checking up on me?]

Wait, this wasn’t the time to joke around. Qiao Ziman pressed and held delete, then rewrote her response: [Watching a movie with Ji Yun.]

[Oh. Watching a movie at two in the morning?]

Mind your own business! Qiao Ziman thought, but confidently replied: [Yes!]

Chi Yin responded with another message: [Come back early.]

Qiao Ziman’s eyes widened. What does that mean? Was Chi Yin concerned about her? Could it be that Chi Yin didn’t take today’s events seriously?

A flicker of hope sparked in Qiao Ziman’s heart.